Most likely because Red ochre paint is also easy to make. Around here (Finland) every other paint is bought, but Red ochre is occasionally boiled on site for pa

Most likely because Red ochre paint is also easy to make. Around here (Finland) every other paint is bought, but Red ochre is occasionally boiled on site for painting out farm buildings and summer cottages. Partly for economic reasons, but mostly because it continues centuries old Scandinavian tradition. This and log cottages found their way to America with immigrant Forest Finns from northern Sweden. They practised slash and burn agriculture, which became frowned upon because it was thought to threaten the wood supply for building ships. So they had to find another frontier. This shared heritage could explain why some commenters point out never seeing red barns where they grew up, when they are commonplace in others. Instructions for diy Red ochre paint: http://www.kaupunkiyhdistys.jns.fi/punamulta/english/redtext.htm http://www.kaupunkiyhdistys.jns.fi/punamulta/english/redtext...