Monday, August 29, 2011

Elements of Disappearing Farm Structures


Visit any 42N area farm (just west of Fairfax, Iowa in this case) and you might see buildings or equipment in various stages of condition. Some may be well preserved while others are out of commission and even disappearing.

First off, the brick silo out building is somewhat rare in that many have already disappeared and are no longer being built. The white barn seen in the background sports a white metal roof. Many local farmers began replacing their barn's traditional shingles and wood exterior with easy to install and maintain metal in the 1990s. In many instances metal materials were placed over the existing wooden counterpart.

Lastly, notice the support for an old fashion windmill. Many windmills are missing parts and very few of them still turn, let alone actually pump water or provide electricity. There are exceptions to these disappearing structures but the trend is certainly to remove rather than replace.

When passing by these structures take a second or two to study the layout of the farm and consider how they functioned while new. Know that.

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