Country
Friday, June 21, 2019
cres A
Volume 7, Edition 9
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
RAISING THE
BARN
PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM
A team of horses takes a break from grading June 7 in front of Amos Gingerich’s barn southwest of Long Prairie. When finished, a team will be able to drive into the upper level of the barn.
Amish tradition requires planning, many hands By DIANE LEUKAM Staff Writer PHOTOS BY CHUCK ANDERSON
LONG PRAIRIE – Many hands make light work. Well, lighter, anyway. “It’s amazing what you can do if a bunch of people get together,” Paul Swartzentruber said. Swartzentruber was talking about the process of a barn raising for his friend, Amos Gingerich. The two young men live and raise their families just a mile or so from one another southwest of Long Prairie. On June 7, they explained the process of a traditional Amish barn raising, which took place on Gingerich’s farm the morning of June 4. “We do a lot in a day but in a way not as much as it looks because it’s all ready the day before,” Swartzentruber said. “That day [is when] we put the puzzle together.” What came together on June 4 was
An Amish barn-raising crew (left) works April 4 at the Amos Gingerich farm southwest of Long Prairie. The photo at right was taken just hours after the Amish barn raising event began.
the product of much planning and preparation, under the direction of a foreman who organizes the project. “Pretty much since May 1st we’ve been working on it to get everything done and set up,” Gingerich said. “It takes that time to get the framework and everything done, so the day of the barn raising you can just set it all up and it all fits together.” The process began with a decision to build the barn. At that time, pine logs were located by a logger and then cut at a sawmill partially owned by Gingerich. Prior to the day of the barn raising, a crew of six to eight men did preparation work. They laid the foundation, and cement work and block work was done. Inside
This month in the
COUNTRY
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on the lower level, the heavy beams were placed using a mortis and tenon construction. The sub floor (of the upper level) was built, and the rafter frame units and rafters were assembled and ready to go. All pieces were cut and laid out in order. It was time to raise the barn. Around 6 o’clock in the morning, between 100 and 120 able-bodied men ranging in age from 16 to 70 began arriving on the farm. Some came with horses and buggies, others on horseback. They came ready to work. Under the direction of the foreman, side walls were first built and installed. Next, the five large pre-assembled rafter frame units, on which the weight of the
rafters would rest, were raised and set in place. “As soon as we get a couple up, on each side we take the rope and pull up what we call the ‘pig trough’ in German,” Swartzentruber said. “It’s like an L shape and we put it in place, it’s fastened and we have the frames connected together.” This “pig trough” connected the top of the sidewalls to the bottom of the roofline. After the first two units were connected at that point on each side, they were connected again halfway up and then at the peak. While that process continued the
A little lunch, anyone? 10 Barn, father catalyst for 16 Creating Crow River Diane Leukam column Walter’s musical career Whitetails Osakis Atwater The restaurant farm Sauk Centre
12 Timber! New London
19 When Daddy hit the ball Poem by Herman Lensing
RAISING THE BARN continued on page 2
21 Country Cooking 22 Country Acres according to: Claire Ohman