The Rural Voice, 2002-04, Page 36COMMERCIAL AND
AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
40 Wellington St., Clinton, ON NOM 1L0
TELEPHONE 519-482-9666
FAX 519-482-8966 a s E i
DURRER' S
GENERAL CONTRACTING
Experience, Reliability, Efficiency
Working for you!
* Agricultural * Residential * Commercial
* Repairs * Renovations
KEN DURRER MILDMAY ALLAN DURRER
PHONE: 519-367-5225 FAX: 519-367-5966
32 THE RURAL VOICE
years, says David Frank, general
manager of the sprawling operation.
Most farmers get to build at most
one new barn in their farming careers
but Frank can't remember how many
barns have been built by Acre T's
sister company Hi -Tech Feeding
Equipment since he joined the
Brussels -area company in 1997.
There have been plenty, though, as
the company owned by Joe and
Miriam Terpstra grew from 3,500
sows to 13,000 over that period.
The first of the naturally
ventilated barns was opened in
December 1998, and they've been
working well, he says. The energy
consumption is very low and the
barns provide an excellent environ-
ment for the
pigs.
While the
sandwich
wall con-
crete barns
will prob-
ably last 20
or 30 years,
Frank says,
"We just
felt the way
technology
is changing
the barns
would
become
obsolete
before they
wear out."
The per-formance of pigs in the more
elaborate buildings just doesn't
justify higher construction costs, he
said.
While part of the change is due to
economics, part is also due to the
company's decision in 1998 to get
into contracting with farmers.
Typically, a farmer growing pigs on
contract is doing it as a part-time job
and they may have less experience.
"Simplicity is key," Frank says and
these new barns are simple to
operate. Most of the systems are
automated. In this 800 -head facility
chores take about an hour a day
except on shipping day when it
might take a couple of hours.
The ventilation system on the
barns is computerized and
records temperature fluctua-
tions. Supplementary heating
systems help in cold weather
Dave Frank, Acre T
general manager:
new barns help
beginning farmers get
into business.