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THE AGRITECT

A blog about all things rural and agritourism related

A Guide On How To Treat Outdoor Timber

Looking for tips on how to treat outdoor timber? This guide covers everything you need to know to keep your wooden surfaces and structures looking great and protected from the elements. From cleaning and sealing to staining and painting, this guide has got you covered.

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Interior of a Barn House

How Much Does A Passive House Cost?

Learn all about custom home costs and the extra costs associated with high-performance homes like passive and pretty good houses. Find out what factors affect the cost of building your dream home, what to watch out for, and general principles to keep in mind.

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aerial view of green grass field and trees

A Quick Escape to Nature: Farmstay Resorts

Why is your farm stay a mini resort?! You’ve probably never thought about your farm stay as a resort, but to many people, it is. So, it’s essential to treat it that way, and there are a few criteria you should consider when you plan it. Tourism spending around the world is shifting from spending in […]

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Barn Conversion Myths

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Are Triple Pane Windows Worth it?

In this video, I show you practically how the triple pane windows are performing in my “pretty good house” (near passive). Using simple visual (but perhaps not completely accurate) tools, I can not only tell you numbers but show you some of the differences.

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A Complete Guide to Site Plan Approval

What is Site Plan Control, and how to navigate your agritourism project through it smoothly? Master planning an on-farm winery with a restaurant. Co-credit South2010 architects. You may have heard your municipality mention Site Plan Approval when you go to them with a building permit or agritourism request. And you are probably wondering what the […]

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Agricultural cornfield

Understanding The OMAFRA Guidelines For Your On-farm Diversified Uses

What are the OMAFRA guidelines for On-farm Diversified uses?  The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) created the “Guidelines on Permitted Uses in Ontario’s Prime Agricultural Areas” to assist municipalities in what OMAFRA feels protects “prime farmland” while providing opportunities for different income streams for farmers. It’s important to remember that it […]

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Top 4 Features To Consider For Your Passive House

What are the details and considerations that make a passive house or high-performance house different than a typical building? In our previous article, What is the Passive House building standard, we introduce you to the program and outline how it differs from building codes and other programs. In this article, we dive a little deeper […]

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A Quick Guide to Understanding Passive House

Most people associate passive house, high performance, and net zero with energy goals for your building. But Passive House buildings are so much more! By following the building standard, you can create a higher quality space that focuses on occupant well-being and comfort and many more non-quantifiable benefits.  This passive house near Goderich is currently […]

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passive house

What Is the Passive House building standard?

And what is the difference between passive house, net zero, and building codes? What is a passive house all about? is a question we hear often. In this article, we explain the programs and standards (like Passive House, LEED, Net Zero, Energy Star, etc.) that are out there for high-performance building and construction. All these […]

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