During the summer I have a chance to move around the Finnish countryside. Even today you can spot farms that are pretty much in their original condition. They offer several good practices to learn from:
Harmony with the environment
Best farms are a collection of buildings that seem to be just in the right place. They are not hidden, but not too dominating. They seem to grow organically from the environment.
Functionality
Farm buildings serve different functions. Their size, placement, and form are defined by the function. They are like modules that you can add as your business grows.
Simplicity
Old rural buildings are simple. Simplicity means that they are relatively easy to make, fix, and maintain.
Sustainability
Farms used the material that was available around them: trees, stones, clay, and straws. The material came from the nature and decomposed in the nature.
Esthetics
Farm buildings use proportions and forms that please the eye. Colors are natural.
In 2006 I visited a Finnish farm – Pien-Toijola – that was established in 1672. The photos are from there.
