ft ▁design ▁of ▁bar ns ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁He ▁designed ▁the ▁bar n ▁as ▁a ▁large ▁space ▁with ▁a ▁high ▁ce iling , ▁and ▁h ired ▁men ▁from ▁B elling ham ▁to ▁build ▁it . ▁▁ ▁H ok an ▁painted ▁the ▁bar n ▁with ▁a ▁mixture ▁of ▁oil ▁and ▁iron ▁rich ▁soil ▁which ▁ox id ized ▁to ▁a ▁d ull ▁red , ▁a ▁practice ▁that ▁reported ly ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Sc and in avia . ▁The ▁H ov ander ▁Hom est ead ▁is ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁No oks ack ▁River ' s ▁flo od ▁lands ▁and ▁H ok an ▁had ▁to ▁account ▁for ▁the ▁natural ▁landscape ▁by ▁building ▁the ▁bar n ▁and ▁the ▁house ▁on ▁raised ▁platforms . ▁ ▁H ov ander ▁hom est ead ▁The ▁H ov and ers ▁soon ▁began ▁far ming ▁the ▁land ▁after ▁moving ▁into ▁the ▁log ▁cab ins ▁on ▁the ▁property . ▁The ▁family ' s ▁first ▁c rop ▁was ▁o ats , ▁but ▁later ▁they ▁also ▁far med ▁sweet ▁corn , ▁hay , ▁d ried ▁fruit , ▁and ▁p ork . ▁Two ▁fruit ▁orch ards ▁came ▁with ▁the ▁property , ▁and ▁the ▁apple ▁orch ard ▁is ▁present ▁at ▁the ▁park ▁today . ▁The ▁family ▁members ▁also ▁made ▁their ▁own ▁soap ▁and ▁cand les . ▁ ▁Le ont ine ▁was ▁trained ▁as ▁a ▁cook ▁in ▁Sweden ▁and ▁cook ed ▁for ▁the ▁family ▁and ▁the ▁h ired ▁hands ▁on ▁the ▁farm . ▁It ▁was ▁tradition ▁for ▁Swedish ▁women ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁and ▁manage