This past July, TimberHomes Vermont raised a new dairy barn for a herd of beautiful Jersey cows at Rebop Farm in Brattleboro, Vermont. Rebop is a special place, the kind of farm where cows, sheep, and chickens share pastureland; where mulberry trees offer their fruit to passers by along the road; where the dairy cows mostly do as they please, and can be seen walking languidly along the road for their morning milking. It’s an idyllic setting to build a barn.
This timber frame barn replaced a hoop barn that collapsed under snow load last winter. It is sure to withstand a century or more of Vermont winters to come, and along with its sturdiness comes a healthy helping of beauty and craftsmanship. Comprising eight bents and four wall lines, the structure is a gable with a shed on one side. Spanning 100′ long and at a width of 42′, there is plenty of room for milking and feeding cattle, plus room to shelter other farm animals. The barn also features a milk processing room, built inside a 20′ shipping container which was dropped into the building during the raising. Up the beautiful flight of timber frame stairs you’ll find a spacious hay loft which works equally well for storing hay or hosting a barn dance. Tighter joist spacing toward the middle of the hay loft ensures that the piles of hay will stand sturdy and secure above the animals below.
Wood joinery is prevalent throughout the building. From the dozen scarf joints to the mortise and tenon braces and post tops, heritage craftsmanship is evident from end to end of the structure. Beefy hemlock rafters span a 20′ shed section over an eastern white pine principle frame. Milking stanchions run through the dairy aisle, ready and waiting for the herd of sweet beautiful cows once the barn is ready for them. The end walls will be clad in pine, with breathable fabric lining the eave walls for maximum ventilation and light.
The crew had a lovely time staying on the farm during the build. The accommodations were so pleasant to stay in, and the food was amazing every night. We’d love to see a “Rebop Raising Cookbook”, but for now the many delicious meals will have to remain in our memories. This build was truly special, and we feel lucky to have had the chance to build a working barn for sweet people doing that good, good work. If you ever get a chance, visit Rebop Farm and check out the many pastoral delights in their farm store. Featuring everything from raw milk to fresh vegetables and tanned sheep hides, the farm store has a feeling of abundance, a kind of which can be available to us all if we listen to the land, each other, and our non-human companions on this green giving earth.
