Demand Strong For Old-Fashioned Whitewashing
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Despite the ever-increasing number of mega dairy farms with large milking parlors made with washable walls, whitewashing is still a viable business. At 75, Thomas Harrison has whitewashed thousands of barns in the Northeast over the past 42 years, and is mentoring a young man to take over his business.
Whitewashing is a traditional, natural way to sanitize stanchion dairy barns with hydrated lime and water. Unless walls can be washed, dairy inspectors often require whitewashing annually, and most of Harrison’s customers are dairy farmers. Whitewashing penetrates well into rough boards, so some of his customers also use it to brighten old barns. It’s also used on homes that have been in a fire to eliminate the smell of smoke and for mold and mildew in homes that have been flooded.
“Whitewashing brightens things up,” Harrison says. “It doesn’t look much different when you first put it on, but as it dries it gets whiter.”
He witnessed the most dramatic results when he whitewashed a cave where a businesswoman stored her artisan cheeses. It was pure dark when he started, and after drying for a short time it lightened up.
While generally used for interior spaces, he has whitewashed the hub fence at a racetrack. After a rain, it looks grey, but when it dries it turns white again.
Harrison also whitewashes stables and fairgrounds in his territory, which includes parts of New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont.
“Travel is the biggest challenge,” he says, noting he often travels hours from his Eagle Bridge, N.Y., home.
Work was closer to home when he first started the sideline business while driving milk truck in 1969. One of the farmers nagged him into whitewashing his barn. With no idea what he was getting into, Harrison bought an old pickup truck and orchard sprayer for $100, and then learned how to mix and spray whitewash.
Because he knew farmers and inspectors from his job, his part-time work grew into a full-time job. He eventually added an air compressor for cleaning and upgraded to a trailer-mounted system. Harrison’s current hydraulic system includes a 300-gal. stainless steel tank, 250 ft. of hose and a pressure washer.
He blows off the surface to be whitewashed with the air compressor, mixes lime and water to the consistency of latex paint and sprays the mixture at 300 to 350 psi.
The work is seasonal from March to November.
While there are fewer dairies to whitewash, he notes there may be other markets – Amish farmers and people with goats, sheep and horses.
Though he never intended to be a whitewasher, the business has provided a good living, he says.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Thomas Harrison, 204 Co. Rt. 68, Eagle Bridge, N.Y. 12057 (ph 518 677-2028; jandmeigs@msn.com).
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Demand Strong For Old-Fashioned Whitewashing CLEANING EQUIPMENT Despite the ever-increasing number of mega dairy farms with large milking parlors made with washable walls whitewashing is still a viable business At 75 Thomas Harrison has whitewashed thousands of barns in the Northeast over the past 42 years and is mentoring a young man to take over his business Whitewashing is a traditional natural way to sanitize stanchion dairy barns with hydrated lime and water Unless walls can be washed dairy inspectors often require whitewashing annually and most of Harrison’s customers are dairy farmers Whitewashing penetrates well into rough boards so some of his customers also use it to brighten old barns It’s also used on homes that have been in a fire to eliminate the smell of smoke and for mold and mildew in homes that have been flooded “Whitewashing brightens things up ” Harrison says “It doesn’t look much different when you first put it on but as it dries it gets whiter ” He witnessed the most dramatic results when he whitewashed a cave where a businesswoman stored her artisan cheeses It was pure dark when he started and after drying for a short time it lightened up While generally used for interior spaces he has whitewashed the hub fence at a racetrack After a rain it looks grey but when it dries it turns white again Harrison also whitewashes stables and fairgrounds in his territory which includes parts of New York Massachusetts Connecticut and Vermont “Travel is the biggest challenge ” he says noting he often travels hours from his Eagle Bridge N Y home Work was closer to home when he first started the sideline business while driving milk truck in 1969 One of the farmers nagged him into whitewashing his barn With no idea what he was getting into Harrison bought an old pickup truck and orchard sprayer for $100 and then learned how to mix and spray whitewash Because he knew farmers and inspectors from his job his part-time work grew into a full-time job He eventually added an air compressor for cleaning and upgraded to a trailer-mounted system Harrison’s current hydraulic system includes a 300-gal stainless steel tank 250 ft of hose and a pressure washer He blows off the surface to be whitewashed with the air compressor mixes lime and water to the consistency of latex paint and sprays the mixture at 300 to 350 psi The work is seasonal from March to November While there are fewer dairies to whitewash he notes there may be other markets – Amish farmers and people with goats sheep and horses Though he never intended to be a whitewasher the business has provided a good living he says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Thomas Harrison 204 Co Rt 68 Eagle Bridge N Y 12057 ph 518 677-2028; jandmeigs@msn com
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