The Barn Raising

There is probably nothing that is more fun to a farmer than the Farm Machinery Show, which is a huge gathering of all the equipment, tools, supplies, and implements that a farmer could ever dream of owning.  Accompanying this display is a collection of  enthusiastic and determined men and women just panting to show how each and every one can revolutionize the farmer's life. 


Hubby and a farming friend set off early one morning, with stars in their eyes, to view all the new items.  They would happily spend the day discussing the merits of a 15-row corn planter versus a 10-row (regardless of the fact that they couldn't turn one of them around on our farm), dreaming of splitting a winter's worth of stove wood with a new high powered splitter,  climbing on tractors that cost more than our farm and are bigger than our garage, and generally enjoying visiting with the other farmers doing the same.


They arrived home that afternoon, exhausted from walking through the exhibits all day, and fairly dancing with excitement.  Like two schoolboys they both started talking at once, interrupting each other in their enthusiasm to tell me about their great find. 


"We bought a barn!"  one spouted, "No, we bought two barns!" the other interrupted.  "I'm going to put it right there" Hubby bubbled, waving his arms in the general direction of the front field.  "We can build it ourselves and it was a terrific buy!" They turned and high-fived each other in jubilation.  I stood in the drive and stared at them in amazement.


It seems that they had each bought a metal hoop barn, that would arrive in pieces and all they had to do was assemble it and attach it to a foundation.  (A hoop barn, for those uninitiated, is a huge barn that looks like a big tin can cut in half lengthwise.) The plan was to do our barn first, then move to the friend's farm and do his.  They assured me that they had studied it carefully and it should take about 3-4 days to assemble.  However, because they had to pour a concrete foundation they would allow a week for each barn.


Shaking my head slowly, I looked at them and asked, "How old was she?"  "Who?" Hubby responded innocently.  "The pretty saleswoman that talked you two into this?" I responded as I walked away muttering to the effect that there was no fool like a farmer at a farm machinery show.


In due time a tractor-trailer truck appeared loaded with the metal, quarter round ribs, that would be bolted together to form the barn.  They didn't look like much, all stacked together in bands, but what did I know. 


With great excitement, they studied their plans, and contacted the concrete company that would pour the foundations.  In due time the concrete was finished and the men were ready to begin their barns.  They looked around at the thousands of bolts that would hold row after row of metal hoops together to form the structure and decided that it might be a little harder than they thought.


The morning they picked to begin the barn, they were up early and studying the plans when they looked up to see a line of trucks coming up the drive.  One by one they parked around the top of the hill and began to unload their tools.  The word had gone out that the two farmers might have bitten off a little more than they could chew and all their buddies from their coffee group had turned out to help.  Soon the barn site swarmed with men, shouts, laughter, and the whine of power tools. 


Day after day they showed up and solved the challenge of the construction of the big tin can barn.  It took two weeks and was not quite as simple as they had been led to believe.  However, the men came each day with cheerful enthusiasm.  When the first barn was finished, they took off two weeks and then moved on to raise the second barn on the friend's farm. 


These weren't kids.  They were mostly retired and mostly farmers, but some were just friends who wanted to help out.  It was a real barn raising!  The only payment was a debt of gratitude that can be called upon at any time. 


The outcome is two beautiful metal hoop barns that have proven exceptionally useful, a deep sense of accomplishment for a super group of men, and a lump in our throats from the overwhelming helpfulness of our friends and neighbors.


If you ever need anything guys...you can count on us for help!


PS
The friend's wife and I have decided that he and Hubby are not allowed to go to the Farm Machinery Show together again!!! EVER!