Farm buildings form an important element in the landscape, whether they are found in villages or hamlets, or are isolated in the countryside. In their design they reflect the differences in types and methods of farming between one area and another and between different periods of history. They thus provide valuable material evidence for agricultural history. However, the old buildings are generally not suited to modern farming methods. A great many have been converted to houses or some other use, others have been modified, or demolished or left to decay. The need to study and record what is left is therefore very urgent. The traditional farmstead was composed of a number of different buildings, each with its own characteristic features and each serving a different purpose. This book looks at the purely agricultural buildings in turn, so that each can be recognised, as a barn, a cowhouse, a stable and so on; the house is ignored, being a subject on its own. The buildings are looked at as you would approach them, noting first the features visible from outside, then those seen inside, and only finally the plan. The book also looks, more briefly, at the way buildings are grouped together.

The search for an African American community in rural Vermont

One of the hardest headbangers of heavy metal shares his uplifting and empowering memoir about overcoming addiction and discovering a life of faith. In My Life with Deth, cofounder and bassist of Mega­deth David Ellefson reveals the behind-the-scenes details of life in one of the world’s most popular heavy metal bands. If you’re looking for eye-opening revelations, they’re here, including the drug habits that brought the band members to their knees. But My Life with Deth is far more than just another memoir of debauchery. Ellefson also shares the story of his faith journey, which began when he decided his only choice for survival was to get free from his addic­tion. Whether religious or not, you’ll be enthralled and inspired by this tell-all book on discovering meaning in a life of rock and roll. You’ll find insightful comments from some of the biggest names in heavy metal, along with universal life lessons. With a delicate balance between humor and earnestness, anyone “can appreciate Ellefson’s unpretentious tone and the delightful irony of a serious Christian who helped define seriously heavy metal music” (Publisher’s Weekly).

The heart of every working farm and ranch, the barn is an icon of rural America. This book chronicles – and celebrates – all the main types, and looks at how these treasures of early American architecture developed. It explains how a wealth of immigrant construction methods and range of environments and climates resulted in a fascinating variety of barn styles in the United States, from the earliest rare Dutch examples to simpler English types and others in more surprising shapes (round or even polygonal) crafted by the Shakers in the 1800s. It highlights the most notable, famous and historic barns that the reader can visit, and features the efforts of conservation groups to preserve America's barns and find innovative ways to repurpose these glorious old structures as homes and studios – and as living monuments of rural heritage.

An ideal sourcebook for architects, woodworkers, and homeowners, this beautiful reference showcases the stunning architectural details of the Winterthur Museum. This guided tour explores 33 rooms from the Georgian and Federal periods with stunning photography, architectural terms, detailed drawings, and fascinating commentary.

This “must-read” memoir of human-scale agriculture offers an insider’s view of today’s food system by a leading voice in sustainable farming (Daniel Boulud). After years of working at the ends of the earth in human rights and development, Brent Preston and his wife were die-hard city dwellers. But when their second child arrived, the shine came off urban living. In 2003 they bought a hundred acres and a rundown farmhouse, determined to build a farm that would sustain their family, nourish their community, heal their environment—and turn a profit. The New Farm is Preston’s memoir of a decade of toil and perseverance. Farming is a complex and precarious business, and they made plenty of mistakes along the way. But as they learned how to grow food, and to succeed at the business of farming, they also found that a small, sustainable, organic farm could be an engine for change, a path to a more just and sustainable food system. Today, The New Farm supplies top restaurants, supports community food banks, hosts events with leading chefs, and grows extraordinary produce. Told with humor and heart, The New Farm is a joy, a passionate book by an important new voice.

In the spring of 2001, a building contractor from a neighboring town drives by an old, New England dairy farm stricken with dilapidated outbuildings and fields overgrown with weeds.Despite its condition, he is captivated by the spectacular view of sweeping vistas and substantial road frontage. Shortly thereafter, he and his wife purchase the property, which they discover is an estate of historical significance.The couple embarks on the formidable restoration of the farm. The Roman Revival house and Victorian Era barns require much more work than was anticipated. Fortunately, the couple's background in construction helps them to resolve the many problems encountered. Several years later—after many trials and tribulations—the restoration is completed.In addition to the documentation of the work undertaken (and a detailed history and genealogy of the property), there are over one hundred photographs of the project from start to finish that allow the restoration to chronologically unfold.