In farm

Quick backgrounder: I had requested people to write what they would do if they had 7 acres of farm land.  This was done primarily as a way to crowdsource ideas for my own farm and also be useful for anyone else wanting to follow a similar dream.

This triggered Samuel Eddy to start off on a series of posts on this subject. This post is 4th in his series where he talks about his ideas for a farm house. At the bottom of this article, you’ll also find links to his other posts on this series. Recommended reading.

The Farm House

This will be one of the major projects in my farm. Assuming that I am going to live on the farm or I may be visiting weekends ,my home on the farm is going to be a unique resting place .It will be my hiding place so to say ,where I can spend my time being myself and be with my loved ones! And therefore I need to build something which my family will be proud off.

I will plan my home to be ethnic, rugged, close to nature or be an extension of my outdoors and which will let a lot of natural light in .I will spend time researching on how my forefathers built their houses and why? How did they enjoy much better health than me etc. I would also spend time observing how other animals and birds build their homes and if possible biomimic some of their ideas!!

I am not being very specific here because each and everyone need to figure out what he or she really wants in their homes and how it will reveal their personality. It should make them feel good.

But the principle of organic farming states that you need to build with the materials that are available within your neighborhood. Not only do you save on transportation costs but also the home becomes endemic to that area and truly reflects the materials available in that area.

Since I am going to give you ideas on how safe and secure your home is going to be, do not try to put fences, barred windows etc in your home .Let it draw in visitors and friends and let all who enter the portals of your home feel good. Let it be charged with negative ions and positive emotions and most importantly of love.


Photo by Exmoor Owl & Hawks


Photo by Tyson Burkele

I have shown 2 examples above of the entrance to the house .I would use a lot of stones that I can get on my farm or close by.

The above pictures are just to give an idea as to how the home can be made rustic and ethnic by using raw stones or wooden beams for the ceiling, walls etc.

Recently in a friends farm I saw that he had used the traditional brass urli as wash basins and the traditional brass lamp served as the soap tray and hung just above the washbasin. It was unique!!

So use art and artifacts to make your home unique. Get friends who are good in painting or in other crafts to come and add value to your home .I am sure they will love to do that.

I will also use lime mortar more than cement and mud blocks rather than burnt bricks etc as I would be particular about the carbon footprint that I would leave behind! As far as possible I would use natural materials than artificial or processed ones!!

I would excavate the ground and surely have a basement and also have an attic .My roof will have a definite slant so that the top can draw out the air. I would have air pipes at the ground level which will draw in fresh air and so this creates an air conditioning effort. The house therefore will be multilevel so that the outside can be landscaped with green lawns surrounding the house.

Put all the thoughts on paper and have a 3D plan made before starting the construction. If this can be done on the computer as a 3D model with a walk through, you can “see” your home even before you start building it. As you plan your house also take into consideration future additions and alterations and expansions as there will definitely be need for that.

Moreover as far as possible build it yourself, be involved in the construction, and don’t just outsource it. This will give immense satisfaction not only to you but to your children and grandchildren and the many people who will visit your farm house!!

Part 1 : Fencing Tips

Part 2 : Tips on How to Name Your Farm

Part 3: Building a Pond in Your Farm