There are a few fundamental differences between a simple countryside house and a productive country home, one of which is a good barn. It doesn't have to be fancy, just a simple, well-planned space that effectively houses livestock and provides space for storage. Ed Robinson and his wife, Carolyn , wrote about building farm structures, raising livestock and other back-to-the-land issues in The 'Have-More' Plan. Here are a few tips from their experience building a small barn.

Materials. Finding used lumber can cut the cost of your barn considerably, though it will most likely require more effort on your part. Lumber from an old barn (or that's been used anywhere else) will probably require cleaning, i.e., pulling out all the old nails. Ed was lucky enough to find a run-down barn nearby, which the owner sold him 'as is' for under $100. An old barn can be a great materials source if you're willing to tear it down and clean up the lumber yourself. Look and ask around; a defunct barn usually has more useable materials than an old house and is considerably cheaper.

Concrete is the other main expense in barn-building. Ready-mixed cement doesn't cost much more than the raw materials and is well worth the price difference. Making concrete from scratch (mixing gravel, cement and water) is labor-intensive and time-consuming.

Size and space. Ed's barn measures a modest 16 x 30 feet but easily accommodates their goats, a couple dozen hens, a battery brooder, rabbit hutch and a couple of sheep, plus a squab loft and space to store straw, grain and baled hay. He and Carolyn reviewed barn plans from several companies without finding one single plan that met their requirements. Using different sections from various layouts, and their own creativity, they were able to maximize the barn's interior space and satisfy their needs for storage and boarding livestock. Think about what livestock you'll be keeping and in what numbers. Consider space for storing feed and maybe even small equipment. Once you know what you need from the space, play with the proportions and layout on paper to get the most out of your barn space.

These tips are adapted from Ed Robinson's article, 'Plans for a Small Barn,' from Mother Earth News. Find more helpful suggestions and building instructions in the complete article.