Roy Galway — Karamea, West Coast

Roy Galway has farmed at Karamea his whole life, on a property that's grown from his parents' 11 cows to a herd of 500-plus.

Every winter, the cows had to walk long distances to the standoff area, costing valuable time. Roy needed a feed pad in a central location on the farm, one that would stand up to the coastal conditions for generations to come.

Roy and his son planned to do most of the build themselves, so a design that didn't demand a full build crew was essential. Alpine's kitset system made that possible: the rafters arrive with J-cleats already welded on, so the purlins slot straight into place without joist hangers, on-site welding, or hours spent measuring brackets into position.

For a farm exposed to Karamea's coastal weather, the materials mattered just as much as the ease of build.

"We felt it would be easy to put together. My son and I did a hell of a lot of the building, and we were overseen by a qualified carpenter, which was a big help. "

"Rust is a concern, with the galvanising on the beams and the timber purlins. They should last a hell of a long time."

Robin had a clear brief. This wasn't about building the biggest shed possible - it was about building the right one.

Durability and Long-term Rust Resistance.  Rust is a real issue this close to the coast. The 5-10mm thick, hot-dip galvanised structural steel rafters are designed to handle this harsh coastal environment. Paired with timber poles and framing, the Alpine design provides maximum durability and long-term rust resistance.

"Rust is a concern, and that's where the galvanised beams, plus the timber purlins, come in - they should last a hell of a long time."

Simple Kitset Construction. Roy and his son aren't builders, so they wanted a shed that was straightforward to build themselves. Alpine's structural steel rafters, with bolted and welded connections, make that possible. With J-cleats pre-welded onto the rafters, there are no brackets to line up and fix in place. Once the rafters are up, the purlins simply slot into the cleats and are bolted into place.

"We're just farmers, so we're not builders, but it was relatively easy for us. It was awesome."

 Airflow.  It does have good airflow. We even thought about whether we'd put up wind cloth on the really wild days. But as it is now, there's plenty of ventilation - the cows are happy to be in here. That's for real. They look forward to coming in." 

The herd now has a central, sheltered feed pad, cutting out the long walk to the old standoff area in winter.

Cows settle in well, and "they're generally satisfied, so they're not rushing to get to their silage. They look forward to coming in. That's for real."

Built with galvanised structural steel rafters and timber poles and framing, the feed pad is designed to handle Karamea's harsh coastal conditions for generations to come.