Some people have the knack for looking at a building or space and visualizing it serving a better purpose with the help of a little elbow grease or maybe new technology. This can also be true for buildings on the farm that may still have some years left in their structures. On the flip side, it is important to understand that when a barn is no longer serving, or may be struggling to serve its purpose, it might be time to build new. Strategic planning specialist Timothy Terry identified signs to look out for when deciding whether to implement new technology into an existing structure or to start from scratch in a Cornell PRO-Dairy webinar.
Agriculture has always been in the age of implementing new technology to improve profitability and efficiency. As new technology arises, it may be time to update facilities, which results in the decision to decide between building or retrofitting already existing facilities to house these new improvements.
If choosing to retrofit, there are many considerations that should be mulled over before installing more efficient equipment. Many retrofit for the sake of investment efficiency while installing new technology for production efficiency, but this can be a double-edged sword. Most often, farmers drop new technology into an existing layout and expect it to work with minor disturbances to the herd’s routine. “That will save you money now, but you’ll pay for the inefficiencies and the ineffectiveness over the long haul,” Terry warned.
Consider the existing conditions. Does the facility meet expectations of animal comfort, ventilation, and overall environment? If the answer is no, this will decide whether newly installed technology will be successful. Most of the time, people associate the existing building with some sort of sentimentality. “There’s almost always the sentimentality factor, and it can be very hard to walk away from, let alone raze, the building that great-grandpa constructed with his own two hands from the raw materials he found on site. However, we really need to see this as sunk capital,” Terry noted.
Another question to ask yourself is if you are compromising animal performance. Consider the minimum dimensions for livestock if you are retrofitting to ensure adequate passageways, turning radius, and head-to-head intersections. It is important to note that livestock don’t like dead ends, mazes, dark areas, or shadows on the floor.
As we usually tend to overestimate the value of the existing structure, we often underestimate the cost of remodeling. Consider the amount of extra work that will go into peeling back layers of years of construction to an older building. You may find that there are more issues beyond what the eye can see. This can bring unexpected expenses to the surface that may not have been budgeted for. The planning specialist recommended that if the remodel or retrofit is more than 50% of the cost of a new facility, choose to build new instead.
While retrofitting can work great for some people, it is important to do the homework before installing new technology into an older building. Be sure that the remodel has the herd’s best interest in mind and is more efficient than your current situation. After all, “If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind,” Terry stated.
