Customer Success Stories: County Line Farms

Name: The Mensen Family Location: Dyersville, Iowa Business: Dairy Farm Building Size: 65' W x 80' L Application: Equipment & Hay Storage

Al and Sue Mensen's morning starts earlier than most people's. They are up before dawn to milk 75 of the 100 cows they raise. The dairy farm has been in the family for over 45 years. Al has worked on the farm his whole life, but recently took over the day-to-day management responsibilities from his father.

With a young family and a herd of demanding cows, Al needed to streamline activities. He explains, "I wanted all my machinery in one place, on-site. We were storing some key equipment at the neighbor's place because we didn't have a covered space to house it in. Any time I needed to use some of this equipment, I'd have to run down to the neighbors and get it."

"Every one who comes inside the building comments on how bright it is. You'd swear you were outside." — Al Mensen

Besides equipment storage, the Mensen's also needed a better place to store their hay. "I really wanted to somehow ventilate and cure the hay inside," says Mensen. "So I needed a building that could serve a dual purpose, one with plenty of space to accommodate the farm equipment and also one that would be good for the hay." "I considered a regular stick building, but the cost was prohibitive and I didn't believe it would give me the results I wanted for my hay. Then a friend mentioned the fabric covered ClearSpan buildings. I did a little investigating, talked it over with my dad, and decided to give it a go. The price was right — our building was a lot cheaper to build than a stick building!"

"We are really happy with our ClearSpan truss arch. We save on utilities. Even though we installed lights, we rarely use them. There's light in our building all the time from sunrise to sunset. Even on a cloudy day you can work in it all day without lights. Every one who comes inside the building comments on how bright it is. You'd swear you were outside." Mensen continues, "Having a door on both ends creates a good breeze, a really nice place to work. Plus, it provides great ventilation for the hay. The only problem we have now is that we like it so much; I wish I had made it even bigger. It's nice to know I can easily add on to it whenever we're ready.

To request information or to request a quote from one of our Truss Arch Specialists about ClearSpan equipment and hay storage buildings please use our contact page.