The Rural Voice, 1996-02, Page 20Cows under plastic
A Clinton -area couple turns to a simple but
revolutionary solution for the high cost of building.
Story and photos by Keith Roulston
Despite the cold temperatures
this January, Herman and
Joanna Ramaker's cows spent
a lot of time out in the sun. Snow was
not a problem for them since the
Ramakers provided a sun -room on
the south side of the century -old
dairy barn.
It all started when the Ramakers
made a decision two years ago that
they must find more space in their
barn for the increasing number of
cows they were keeping. They'd
already added lean-to's on three sides
of their Clinton -area dairy barn but
when they got the quote for a new
pole -shed addition to house dry cows
on the south side of the barn the price
made them look to alternatives.
Herman remembered an article
he'd seen in Hoard's Dairyman, the
U.S. dairy magazine about an
American farmer who had built a
16 THE RURAL VOICE
greenhouse -style building to house
his dairy cattle. He decided to
investigate further.
He talked to friends who run a
greenhouse operation and asked
plenty of questions and when he
realized he could get several times
the amount of space for the same
cost, he decided to give it a try.
The south side of the Ramaker
barn had long been a problem. Since
it was used for a feeding and clean-
out area, it had several large doors.
Winter winds, however, sent the cold
drafts seeping in around these doors
and on some days could make the
barn very cold and drafty. Today,
however, a 20 -foot wide by 108 -foot
long greenhouse barn attached to the
south side of the barn not only
provides room for 10 dry cows and
10 heifers but also keeps the rest of
the barn warm, with the doors open.
Joanna and Herman Ramaker, and
their cows, enjoy the shelter of their
greenhouse barn.
The barn is now undergoing its
second winter (the cattle first
occupied the barn in November
1994) and though the Ramakers still
say they're learning about the
building, Herman says he's pleased.
In fact he says if he'd known about
the greenhouse barns a year earlier
when he was building a calf barn,
he'd have built one then too.
After an article on the Ramaker
barn appeared in a well-known
Canadian dairy magazine the family
has had several people visit to see the
barn. Some have been disappointed
by the simplicity of the structure
which cost about $6,000, because the
article in the magazine had been
accompanied by photos of elaborate
U.S. greenhouses.
The round -roofed greenhouse is
attached to the main barn by
brackets. On the south side, 4" by 6"
posts support the wall. Barn board
provides a solid wall to head height
where the plastic begins. The plastic
continues to the tops of the posts,
then over the arched roof constructed
of 2" -diameter galvanized metal
supports. The greenhouse is covered