Barn raising
There's two kinds of barn raising when it comes to Homesteads. The first is the classic literal type, known from back on Earth with Amish communities. That's when an entire group of Homesteaders comes together and erects a barn, either new or repaired, in a matter of hours. By teaming up like this, a 'stead isn't burdened by a lengthy construction period and lifestock doesn't have to sleep without shelter.
The second kind is a bit of a lengthier process. This is when a new claim is set up, normally when offspring decides to venture forth themselves. As a household is authorised to have at most 3 claims, sometimes children will use one of these claims a while removed from family, rather than build their new home directly next to their parents. And things like divorce also happen, which the Homestead Act does not currently make exceptions for, as to prevent abuse of the system. In any of these cases, an entire new infrastructure has to be set up.
This is where the local community comes in, sometimes aided by the Children of Ymir or Homestaid. They will bring in the classical two shipping containers, quickly building up a starting home, greenhouse, utilities and whatnot. At the end of the process, the shipping containers are turned into emergency shelters as always, so that even new 'steads are well-protected against Ursa Majors.
There is no monetary reward involved with barn raising. In fact, unless the original homestead is doing very well, the community normally also aids financially in the seed money. They also tend to share some cuttings or seeds of their own farms, and maybe even some young animals. Even the local wildlife is in on it, as Taurus Domesticis herds might even split into smaller herds or change their routes to also visit the new 'stead. The same goes for Corvus flocks and Lupus Minor packs, who will visit old friends in their new territory. All in all, the Homesteader Fellowship really shows itself when it comes to setting up new Homesteads. They stand together, knowing full well that to survive in these wild lands, we must all stand together.
There is no monetary reward involved with barn raising. In fact, unless the original homestead is doing very well, the community normally also aids financially in the seed money. They also tend to share some cuttings or seeds of their own farms, and maybe even some young animals. Even the local wildlife is in on it, as Taurus Domesticis herds might even split into smaller herds or change their routes to also visit the new 'stead. The same goes for Corvus flocks and Lupus Minor packs, who will visit old friends in their new territory. All in all, the Homesteader Fellowship really shows itself when it comes to setting up new Homesteads. They stand together, knowing full well that to survive in these wild lands, we must all stand together.
Comments