There is a family barn across the way (in fact I call it The Barn Across The Way) that has been rented out for many years and has just come back to the family. Yesterday actually. And now (she says with a big grin) it is OURS. I want to write MINE (because I am the farmer after all) but for appearances sake I will write Ours. I will let Our John build the fences because there is also a decent patch of grass!!
It is across the unbridgeable ditch so will be awkward to manage but it has such potential.
It is old, but recently painted and has a good new tin roof. 
Some of the really old fittings are still there, the stalls and feeders, and some interesting little rooms.
It has the feel of an indoor arena to it with a central walled space for the hay and a wide gallery all around this for the animals to shelter. Part of the barn is a dirt floor and part of it has concrete which is interesting. 
With this beautiful ceiling it brings to mind a circus tent. 
The paint job is a poor attempt to disguise what will be a bit of work. Firstly many of the windows are boarded up so we will put the glass back in and get some light into the space.
Also on the property is a crib. Not like a crib that is a bach. In the midwest a crib is where they used to store corn before the metal bins.
I will go back and look at this today, there is a very interesting mechanism for moving the corn inside this building, I need to investigate further. 
I am considering taking the fattening chickens and a couple of roosters over to this new barn and once they are settled let them loose to do some housekeeping. I was going to put them in the pot, but maybe I can put them to work instead. Plus I need to get some cats settled in there. There is evidence of rodents. I do not have a mouse problem in my barn here and I am sure it is because of the chickens, roosters and cats. I will be over there every day anyway. Probably riding the Tall Teenagers Bike over there for the summer. It would take about 5 minutes.
Later in the summer the cows will come to this barn and over winter there. I do not have room for four cows in my little barn. The barn across the way is huge in comparison. We have just expanded. How is that for wonderful!
Have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farms
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
89 responses to “Across the way”
Exciting times! Now you can hold even more animals. Love that old manger or feeding thingy.
Looking forward to seeing before and after shots ( and during)
Cool.
This is so exciting. Wonderful, wonderful.
That corn crib is a near replica of the one on the farm where I grew up. It was torn down years ago (so sad).
And the interior of that barn, oh, so lovely.
A new barn. This is wonderful news!
I absolutely love barns and as I look for our future farm property, I find myself drawn to those that include a barn. The old-fashioned barn like the one you shared with us today. Can’t wait to see the ‘barn across the way.’
You must save a barn! How wonderful. In fact it is more or less impossible to farm here without one. When you see these old things on saturday you will want one for yourself I am sure.. c
I am so excited for you!! Wonderful news!
Great news! Truly happy for you and all the animals! May need another dog too to keep those night hunters away!
Barns are so romantic and I am so happy for your new acquisition. Nothing romantic about all the work ahead but oh! The satisfaction of beauty crafted by your own hands! Lovely! And the cathedral ceiling.WOW.
GOod idea to let the critters earn their keep, good maintenance crew!
A pig-drawn barge? That image makes my day! 😀
YAY! For you and yours! Now you have more space and much more pasture! Your whole operation will increase and flourish!!
♥ღLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
What a beautiful barn!! I am sure you will find a way to cross the water to it and not spend a fortune. I am sure you can find a way to build a foot bridge, at least, to begin with. How far away is the barn, exactly? When we looked at our property to buy years ago, I saw the barn and said “that’s it”. It did not care what the house looked like. It was the barn for the animals (horses in those days) that sold me. I am so excited for you.
As the crow flies straight across the divide about 1/2 mile, to drive along the road about a mile I would say, very doable.. c
How absolutely wonderful. An entire new barn for The Farmy. The potential will be astounding … a little like winning a lottery.
What a fantastic space. How exciting!
How did you come to get the barn? I love it!
I wanted it and whined a lot! c
That’s our girl!
I can definitely see the useful potential, and it’s quite charming in style right now, as is. I laugh at the idea of the chickens perhaps enjoying a brief reprieve from the pot! I hope they make their last meal(s) really beneficial to them and to you! LOL! I’m very happy to see you’ve added some more breathing room…you use space so efficiently!