Grainger County AgriBusiness

The Grainger County High School Agribusiness Center provides a new model for agricultural education in animal husbandry and beef production management. Consisting of a backgrounding barn, commodity barn, and classroom, the prototype facility integrates simple, pre-engineered construction and materials with twenty-first century “smart” farm modules or technologies that can be phased into the structure as the school’s resources permit.

Oriented east-west, the south facing shed roof provides shade in the summer and allows solar gain in the winter, keeping cattle cool or warm depending on season. In addition, the roof provides shelter from rain and snow, reducing stress; ensures dry bed packs for resting or sleeping; centralizes areas for feed and water – all of which reduce stress and promote the cattle’s health. The extensive cantilever creates a column free space, allowing equipment to deliver feed or scrape pens unencumbered. The overhang further directs summer winds into and through the barn, facilitating ventilation and helping cattle maintain optimum body temperature during hot weather.

The buildings are located along a central ridge that bisects the site. Oriented parallel to the contours, the barns and classroom minimize earthwork, maximize grazing areas, and create natural stormwater catchments to minimize erosion and slowly reintroduce overland flow into the site’s natural hydrology. The buildings are a hybrid steel and wood frame set onto concrete or concrete masonry walls. Dimensional wood joists span between cantilevered steel beams. Subdivided into 4 pens to house up to 500 cattle, the open structure provides shelter and infrastructure as a simple, yet high tech teaching ‘barn’ for high school students and the region’s cattle farmers.