Specialty Fabrics Review April 2024 - 29

David Eichelberger, director of sales
for the company.
" The temperature, humidity and
air quality inside of the barn is crucial
to the health and comfort of the
animals. It helps to keep them calm,
eating properly and avoids sickness, "
he explains. " The curtains moderate
temperature on both ends of the
spectrum, allowing airflow for cooling,
blocking the wind and keeping the
interior warmer on cold days. "
Headquartered in Emigsville, Pa.,
Herculite has been manufacturing
flexible PVC composite textiles for
more than 60 years, says Eichelberger,
providing an array of brands like
Weblon Regatta® for boat and crew
protection, as well as solar brands
such as Weblon Coastline Plus®, Patio
500® and Architent® for tents and
structure fabrics, among others.
The domestically produced curtains
are made to order to fit the customer's
barn style and can be sized via the
company's proprietary online Curtain
Builder. This tool allows customers to
specify the fabric, as there are several
USA-made fabric options available
to accommodate barn style, animals
being housed, length, width, hem style
and locations.
Eichelberger says the company has
seen demand for its barn curtains rise,
" The average
homeowner is
spending less money
on ornamental stuff
and investing in foodproduction
gardening
for their families and
their own use. "
Ed Vander Vegte
OUTFRONT PORTABLE
SOLUTIONS
Cool animals
graze more
ining alfresco for humans often involves relaxing beneath
a canopy or umbrella, especially under the hot summer
sun. Livestock around the world are also having that
opportunity-and avoiding heat stress-through the
deployment of portable shade systems manufactured by Shade
Haven of Viroqua, Wis. The structures cover 600 or 1,200 square feet,
deploy without needing a power source and, as shown in the photo,
are light enough to be transported by ATV. They set up in about 15
minutes with only one person, and if a storm threatens, they can be
closed up in two minutes.
" It was developed by farmers, for farmers, " says company president
Reed Doerr. " It came about as a solution to a problem company
founder Vince Hundt had on his own farm. "
Keeping cows cool means better grazing and thus milk and beef
production, but the benefits of better conditions can aid any livestock.
And changing their field location means they can be kept on dry
ground, preventing the overuse of natural shady areas. Rotational
grazing also more widely distributes the pasture's fertilizer instead of
it becoming concentrated near trees or buildings where the animals
would otherwise retreat to beat the heat.
The shade structure includes a steel frame and a shade of 90%
Shade Haven's portable shade systems are light
enough to be transported by ATV to the desired
field location and are used in rotational grazing of
a farm's animals. Image: Shade Haven
knitted polypropylene mesh made by BTL Liners of Prineville, Ore.
Shade Haven began in 2012; its first sale was the following year to
a century farm in Paoli, Wis., and that mobile unit is still in daily use
during the grazing season. In 2023 the company moved to its own
facility for manufacturing and assembly and introduced a street fair
version of the product.
SpecialtyFabricsReview.com 29
http://www.SpecialtyFabricsReview.com
Specialty Fabrics Review April 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Specialty Fabrics Review April 2024
