In 1988, General Motors introduced the iconic ad slogan “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile” to convey to potential customers that its Oldsmobile line had greatly improved over the years to encourage them to take a fresh look at their cars. A similar slogan “This is not your father’s machine shed” is fitting for modern agricultural buildings, which have also undergone a major evolution. But unlike Oldsmobile, which ceased production in 2004 after 106 years, the need for new farm buildings is still great.

America’s demand for food has risen due growth in population and exports, but as farmers’ profits have been squeezed, they’ve been forced to become more efficient, increasing production with less labor and lower costs. This, in turn, has led to changes in the design of ag buildings and the materials used to build them. 

The transformation in farm buildings has been driven by many factors, such as changing demographics, the impact of cultural and environmental influences, skyrocketing farm costs, increasing pressure in domestic and international economics, incorporation of technology, the evolution of livestock management practices, and updated construction techniques and improved building materials.

Demographic Changes in the General Population and on the Farm

The average age of the general American population has been increasing for decades, and that upward trend holds for American farmers as well. Agupdate.com reported that, based on data in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, the average age of U.S. farmer is now 58.1, which is 9.4 years older than in the 1945 Census.

Over the years, farm building layout and design has been improved to streamline workflows. This includes better site planning and ergonomic efficiencies to reduce wasted time and effort, which helps farmers of all ages but is especially helpful to those who are older because they tend to tire faster and injure more easily. 

Photos courtesy of Legacy In addition, features that reduce work and strain and create more ergonomic work environments have been introduced in farm buildings, such as better lighting, remote openers for overhead doors, markings on floors to guide vehicles into parking spots, and non-slip and anti-fatigue floor mats. New and remodeled farm homes include accommodations such as ramps instead of stairs, wider doors, walk-in tubs and showers, and lever-style doorhandles rather than twist doorknobs to help farmers “age in place,” so after they retire, they won’t need to go to a nursing home, which can be both inconvenient and extremely expensive.

The U.S. is experiencing a labor shortage nationally and especially in rural areas because of lower population density and the movement of the younger generation from rural to urban areas. In farm families, the reluctance of younger generations to follow in their parents’ footsteps and take over the farm is another contributing factor. With fewer workers available, farm building designs that improve workflow and efficiencies are even more critical. 

Environmental and Cultural Influences 

Farm structures are now being designed with more emphasis on energy conservation, using solar panels, wind turbines, LED lighting, geothermal energy, and high-performance Insulation such as spray foam and foam boards. Careful site planning is done to orient buildings to take advantage of natural lighting, airflow, and ventilation. In addition, automated environmental controls monitor and adjust temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels to reduce fluctuations, improve performance, and maximize energy efficiency. 

Buildings are constructed using recyclable materials like steel and sustainably sourced wood. Rooftop rainwater harvesting systems and improved wastewater managements systems conserve water, which is especially helpful in drought-vulnerable areas. And as Bret Buelo of Wick Buildings (wickbuildings.com) pointed out, “In many areas, state DNR and national EPA regulations place limitations and requirements on water runoff and livestock waste management, which will impact building design and use.”

Modern farming trends affect building designs in other ways too. According to the USDA’s definition, free-range animal farming requires that structures provide animals with free access to the outdoors at least 50% of the day. 

Farm-to-table and “locavore” movements have led to an increase in farm stores like Feltz’s Dairy Store in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, a retail store located on a family farm that offers a wide variety of dairy products, meat, and produce grown on its own land. The store’s website (feltzsdairystore.com) explains that “the store features viewing windows into the robot barn that allow visitors to observe the cows being milked, while enjoying an ice cream cone or some delicious fresh cheese curds. A viewing window is also featured into the cheese plant where visitors can view fresh cheese being made at certain times during the week.” The store offers its visitors farm tours and hayrides as well.

This interaction with the public on farms is known as “agritourism,” in which specially designed and equipped buildings host visitors who want to learn more about how farms operate. They cater to school field trips and provide interactive exhibits, educational events, multipurpose event spaces, and more. Because these facilities are open to the public, they must comply with state and local food handling regulations and federal ADA regulations regarding wheelchair access, restrooms, and more. 

New trends in agriculture include vertical and Indoor farming with precisely regulated climate control. These controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) facilities grow produce using hydroponics, aeroponics, and LED lighting to maximize plant growth. This type of farming is economically suited best to urban areas because of their lack of farm acreage, denser population, and higher incomes that can more readily absorb higher produce prices.

Increasing Pressure in Domestic and International Economics

Skyrocketing farm costs have forced livestock producers to be more efficient with building space, leading to much larger structures and more compact housing of animals. This is known by various terms, such as intensive animal farming, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), macrofarms, megafarms, and factory farms. They typically use steel-framed structures and can have clear spans of up to 300 feet, far wider than wood post-frame buildings. 

In large, intensive farm operations, biosecurity is especially important to prevent the spread of animal diseases such as swine fever and avian flu. This requires restricted access areas, quarantine zones, sanitation stations, and controlled ventilation to reduce cross-contamination. These giant farms produce large amounts of animal waste that is often handled using specially designed structures for processing and storage and some are used for composting or producing biogas. 

Farm buildings are now often built for multipurpose use, such as for animal sheltering, grain drying and storage, and machine storage. They may be much larger to allow additional flexibility and more space for more and larger farm machinery. Modern combines for instance, need higher shed doors than their predecessors. And as smaller family farms are sold to large corporate farms, the operations need more machines to manage the additional acreage. 

These larger buildings often include innovative designs to maximize their use, such as climate-controlled offices, mezzanines for additional storage or workspace, and concrete slab floors with radiant floor heat. Some large-scale operations with a lot of machinery have a mechanic’s pit for easier access to equipment for maintenance and repair.

Improved Construction Methods and Building Materials

New farm buildings are generally built to higher standards than in past generations. Improved engineering, design, and construction methods make them sturdier and able to withstand higher winds and heavier snow loading. 

Older post-frame buildings often have structural issues because of rotting posts. “Round pole” buildings using repurposed telephone poles are few and far between now,” Buelo said. “More often the ones that are still around displaying this issue are the solid column buildings. The problem with the solid columns, either 6” or 8”, where you may see rotting is that the wood treatment did not penetrate all the way to the interior of the column. This problem is usually seen in high moisture soils, situations where water runoff from the roof or surrounding terrain is not properly managed, or where it is in contact with animal waste.”

Newer post-frame buildings, however, are made from pre-engineered kits and use pressure-treated square or rectangular glulam or nail-lam posts assembled from dimensional lumber that has had knots and other defects cut out. Their multi-ply structure makes the wood more consistent throughout and is resistant to cracking, splitting, twisting, and warping, and is dimensionally stable. In addition, these engineered-wood posts are protected from rot by being pressure treated, incorporating plastic sleeves around their base to create a barrier between wood and soil, or placing them on top of a concrete post for a permanent foundation.

Some farm buildings use cold-framed steel (CFS) or structural steel framing, which is stronger than wood, and is rot-, mold-, termite-, and fire-resistant. 

Tension fabric buildings have evolved greatly as well over the years. According to Adam Laidlaw, project and design consultant for Legacy Building Solutions (legacybuildingsolutions.com), “Tension fabric buildings have come a long way from the ‘hoop’ structures that were common in various agricultural applications. With the rigid-frame, I-beam engineering concept that Legacy Building Solutions uses, a building design can be fully customized from the beginning for the customer’s intended use.” In addition, the coverings are very durable. “PVC fabric is naturally corrosion-resistant, making it a much better option than metal buildings for fertilizer storage and other corrosive environments,” Laidlaw said. “Legacy Building Solutions protects the building frame and other metal components with epoxy paint to completely seal off corrosive elements from impacting the structure.”

Advancements in building science have led to construction materials that are more durable and feature more options in colors, textures, and designs. This includes roofing, cladding, windows, entry doors, overhead doors, posts, trusses, ventilation, insulation, fasteners, adhesives, sealants, caulks, and finish materials such as coatings, paints, and stains. 

Conclusion

Modern farm buildings look much different from those built in past generations because they are different. They have drastically improved in design, materials, construction methods, and in safety efficiency, ergonomics, and environmental considerations. With continuing research and development, these improvements are bound to continue, and we can only imagine what the next generation of farm buildings will feature.

Sources

• Burrow’s Post-Frame Supply (burrows-supply.com)

• Graber Post Buildings (graberpost.com)

• Hixwood (hixwood.com)

• Legacy Building Solutions (legacybuildingsolutions.com)

• Lester Buildings (lesterbuildings.com)

• Perma-Column (permacolumn.com)

• Post Protector (postprotector.com)

• Starwood Rafters (starwoodrafters.com)

• Stockade Buildings (stockadebuildingsinc.com)

• Wick Buildings (wickbuildings.com)