THE AGRITECT

So, we convinced you to keep your barn! Now, what are you going to use it for? Here are some ideas to give your old barn a new life. We hope these suggestions ignite your creativity for repurposing your old barn into something unique! Barn Restoration for Agriculture Uses: There is nothing wrong with reusing […]

Discover the joy of adopting a barn and preserving our rich heritage. Support sustainability, restore architectural treasures, and make a lasting impact.

“…the countryside conjures nostalgic rather than real interpretations.” “Perhaps more than any other landscape, the tended fields of the countryside symbolizes our most revered meld of man, nature, and time.” -Sally Schauman.

“Ontario’s 19th century vernacular [Vernacular architecture is a category of architecture based on local needs and construction materials, and reflecting local traditions] is beyond recovery, however much it is craved. Awareness cannot be un-invented in an informed, interactive society.” -Michael J. Troughton. Vernacular Architecture in Ontario; Industrial Vernacular  

The basic problem associated with a monoculture farm is that it is not a closed system. By closing the loop and creating a farm which operates like an ecosystem, we can re-establish the nutrient cycle and rehabilitate our resources. In order to do this we must produce the feed on the same farm as the […]

“A good farmer is a craftsperson of the highest order, a kind of artist. It is the good work of good farmers – nothing else – that assures a sufficiency of food over the long term.” -Wendel Berry, Farmer & Author. Gift of Good Land

“Farming keeps man honest, vigorous, and independent” -James S. Ackerman, Architect. Vila:Form & Ideology of Country Houses

  ” Soil fertility must be the basis of any permanent system of agriculture” – Sir Albert Howard, Farmer & Author. Agricultural Testament

The “whole foods” shopper feels that by buying organic he is “engaging in authentic experiences” and imaginatively enacting a “return to the utopian past with the positive aspects of modernity intact”. -Michael Pollan, Author. Excerpts from Omnivores Delemma

“…as for farmers themselves, they have long ago lost control of their destiny. They are no longer ‘independent farmers,’ subscribing to that ancient and perhaps indispensable ideal, but are the agents of their creditors and the market. They are ‘units of production’ who, or which, must perform ‘efficiently’ – regardless of what they get out of it either […]