Farm Update – The Barn Pergola / Kitchen Project Underway

This isn’t exactly the best time of year to get major projects done!  Between softball and baseball games, spring planting, mowing, and building the pergolas we sell  – our own  “to do” list sometimes suffers.  What’s the old saying…a plumber’s leaky faucets are always the last to get fixed…well…that is about how it has worked for building our own barn pergola!

We did however finally make some headway on our project this past week.  We are attaching a 12 x 22 pergola to the side of our barn and then putting down a patio with reclaimed pavers. We hope at some point to add an L shaped outdoor kitchen on the side with some more of the left over barn wood beams – and then be able to finally host some big family gatherings with food from the garden by this fall.

It’s still such a long way from the dream…but at least it got a little closer this week!    On Friday –  we took turns digging the holes – each of us taking turns until our arms hurt before handing over the post hole diggers.  By day’s end we were able to set the four posts – and get the main header boards up – along with getting a large load of  the packing gravel delivered.  We will rake out about a 3″ base with the gravel pack for the patio area – and then follow with the pavers.

I have to say that the gravel was soooo much lighter to move Friday before we got the three inches of rain in a big storm Friday night!   We pre-stained all of the main purlin boards – but decided after getting them up that we wanted to add a few more more to make it a little more shaded – so that’s why you see some unstained ones now in the picture.  Hopefully by weeks end we can have all of the top purlins as well as the posts stained – and the remaining paver base gravel spread out.   And hopefully…we can stop dreaming of having a dinner on the patio and make it a reality!