First Place, South Region
David Sowersby
Hackett, AR

Also First Place winner in this category for the South Region

House for Hay

David Sowersby's Wood-Mizer LT28 helped him give shape and substance to a long-time dream. Now, the large red, round barn on his farm near Hackett, Arkansas holds the hay and other materials he needs to run a cattle farm.

"When I was younger," Sowersby says, "my grandfather and I rabbit hunted on a farm that had a large round barn. I was always fascinated by its unusual shape."

"When my wife and I purchased land to raise cattle, it had no barn or outbuildings. While I was in the Army in Iraq & Afghanistan as a contractor, I drew up plans for the barn."

After he retired from active duty in 2004, Sowersby was ready to build the barn from wood on the property. "I did Internet research and Wood-Mizer seemed to be the best buy. After talking with another owner I ordered my sawmill."

David's barn is 62 feet across and has a 25-foot center pole. "The most challenging part was setting the oak rafters into place while not putting too much weight on one side of the center support. I used a small crane and with my neighbor, Paul Gosch, at its controls, we set each rafter across from the last to keep everything evened out. Each oak beam was about 300 pounds and the barn's center pole is over 25 feet high, so it got a little nerve wracking at times."

Now, the round red barn rises out of the Arkansas farmland about 100 yards from David and Vicki Sowersby's home. David says, "It sits adjacent to one of my ponds and from my front porch I can see both the barn and the pond. It's a really nice view."

"Not only did the sawmill save me a lot of money and perform beautiful work, I quickly started to use the LT28 for extra income."