The United States of American has the world’s largest economy, and it isn’t even close. The nation’s nominal GDP is more than double that of the runner-up, China. On a global basis, America has a mixed, vibrant economy that is home to popular technological giants like Apple, Microsoft, and IBM. While it is true that these corporations have helped shaped the modern world, another industry is every bit as important, but is often overlooked.

America was once a nation of farmers. Before the Industrial Revolution, most folks worked on family farms. The growth of manufacturing and urbanization had a devastating effect on the agricultural industry. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are nearly five million fewer farms in the United States than there were in the 1930s. There are only around two million farms in America and only a little over one-quarter of them are family-run. Furthermore, only about 2 percent of the workforce is employed in agriculture, compared to 41 percent in 1900. How then has the country managed to remain a net exporter of food?

In a word, technology. Whether it is done on a family farm or on a corporate one, farming is far more efficient than it has ever been. It is for this reason that food prices in the United States have remained relatively stable over the past few decades. As a percentage of total income, Americans spend less on food (when adjusted for inflation) than they did in the past. So, even though there are fewer farms today than there were one hundred years ago, agriculture remains an important part of the modern economy.

Science and technology have helped the industry come into the 21 century. Crop yields and outputs have never been higher, which has created an enviable problem. Most farmers produce such enormous crops that they sometimes run out of space. Storage is a major issue on both corporate and family farms. The days when farmers could keep everything in a gambrel-roof barn have long since come and gone.

As quaint and nostalgic as these structures might be for tourists, they are far too expensive for agriculturists who simply need extra space. Not only are they more costly to build, wooden barns also require regular maintenance. It is for these reasons that most contemporary farmers buy an agriculture steel building, or several of them.

What are the benefits?

First and most important is the price. Steel is far less expensive than lumber and will save owners beaucoup bucks on construction costs. Agricultural steel building come pre-fabricated and should only take a few days assemble and erect. As a material, steel is obviously far stronger than wood and holds up better against the elements. These structures will not rust, corrode, oxidize, or leak, as other storage units are wont to do. And because it is made of a sterner stuff, a steel farm building provides more interior square footage than a traditional barn. There is no need for beams or trusses to hold them up!

What can they store?

An agricultural steel building is suitable for animal barns, horse stables, feed and hay storage, and much, much more. Some farmers used them to house their farm equipment and vehicles, such as tractors and combines. Larger corporate farms often have several steel farm buildings that they use to store their crops and feed.