Farm Buildings

Purposes of Farm Buildings:

The basic unit of commercial agricultural operation, throughout history and worldwide, is the farm. Because farming systems differ widely, there are important variations in the nature and arrangements of farm facilities. The buildings on a farm generally consist of the farm family's house, the dwellings of any resident hired workers, and the various structures and facilities for farming operations. This article deals with farmhouses and service buildings that can be classified as follows: livestock barns and shelters; machinery- and supply-storage buildings; buildings and facilities for crop storage, including fodder; and special-purpose structures.

From: farm building. (2005). Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 27, 2005, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9111028

For agricultural purposes, farm buildings are used for sheltering animals, their feed and other supplies, farm machinery, and farm products. Barns are named according to their purpose, as hog barns, dairy barns, tobacco barns, and tractor barns. The principal type in the United States is the general-purpose barn, used for housing horses and mules, cows, calves, and sheep and for storing hay and grain. Although the need for the general barn declined with the advent of tractors and electrical service, one or more barns are still found on the majority of North American and European farms. Many have been adapted to other uses.