On Saturday all the men and boys came to help set the trusses on our 40-by-80-foot pole barn. This project was intended to be done before the winter weather began, but it all takes time and money.

That’s thanks in part to the use of clear-span trusses. But having a super-spacious shop or garage isn’t the only reason why some people choose a pole barn home over a stick-frame house.

Above: Without a truss at this end for structural support ... was dredged and re-planted as a water retention pond. Small ...