# Farmstead Layout



## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

I have been looking for sources that show layouts for home/farmsteads. We have 35 acres and will be building everything so would like some ideas about where to put a house, barn, etc in relationship to each other.
Does anyone know of any good books or websites that discuss this? Does anyone have any good ideas or thoughts about planning the layout of a farmstead themselves?
Thanks, Sue


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

You need to consider prevailing winds from both the weather protection angle, barn smells problem and any other nusance issuse like blowing leaves in the fall, snow drifting or spring run off water. Consider power and water distribution, shorter runs are cheaper but you don't want to fight a rocky outcrop or be too near windfall potentials. Maybe you can go under ground with everything. Your barn will need access to heavy vehicles and towed equipment like trailers and wagons, give yourself enough room to manouver, its more space than you think. A lane built witha circle turn around is very useful. A place for your pets and children to play away from he lane is handy but not alwyas compatible with easy ability to keep an eye on them and the roads and buildings. It's awfully nice to see everything from your house. You can't do it all, but try to maximise the view from a practical standpoint. Animals love gardens. Maybe they shouldn't have to go past your garden to graze everyday. Going to have a storm shelter? You should have easy access from nay building and your fencing should allow easy passage in that direction. Keep it clear from nearby debris and two entry points are better than one. Keep your parking, work shop and fuel storage away from your well. Consider future solar panel use and position roofs to make use of the sun. If you're going to have a pond remember kids love ponds and they can be dangerous, and firefighters love ponds they should have access. Preditory wildlife really like close cover to your yards and barns. Far enough from the road for safety and quiet not so far you're building a super hiway to keep snow off of and gravel on. 750-1000 feet is nice. Besides a power service run is more expensive the further you go.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

I really liked the way my last farm was laid out. 

The house had a circular driveway that went behind it (the garage door was on the back side of the house). The area within the semi-circle of the driveway contained my flower gardens and other "nice" stuff. Past the driveway, arranged along it, were all the barns, sheds, coop, etc. -- the working part of the homestead! Not quite so pretty, LOL.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Gravity can be a real asset to the farm homestead.
Ideally, the water source should be higher than everything else, then the house, then gardens and livestock, then the fields.
That way there is no tainted runoff toward the water source, gravity water can be fed to everything and all generated runoff is headed to the gardens and fields.


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## pcdreams (Sep 13, 2003)

have you checked out the "have more" plan? Also the "Self sufficient life and how to live it" by Seymour.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

You've already got some good information. I'd suggest the book _Permaculture_ by Mollison and the book _Pattern Language._ Both emphasize efficiency and layouts to minimize labor. I'd also suggest you look up the soil types for your farm to take that into consideration. That can be found online. Sometimes the house placement while seemingly great, limits other aspects.


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

pcdreams said:


> have you checked out the "have more" plan? Also the "Self sufficient life and how to live it" by Seymour.


Thanks, found free ebook dl's of those, they look nice.


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## Gregg Alexander (Feb 18, 2007)

If you want to be safe with your buildings space them at least 75 ft apart . Why if one catches fire you want lose all your buildings. That is the way our ancestors built their farms


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## shawnlee (Apr 13, 2010)

The place I bought was already laid out and seems preety good......


They left lots of room between everything for growth and expansion and located like things together...

They kept the house pretty far from all of it for smell,fire and noise I would imagine......uses the land pretty well and fills things out nicely and does not seem crowded...even though it has a considerable amount of buildings on it.


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the great input. I've added it all as notes to my rough sketches of possible layouts.
Thanks for taking the time to answer!


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