Randy Kron decided building in parts storage on the first floor rather than having a loft would be better use of money spent on the building. They find it easier to access when they need to find a part since there are no ladders or stairs to climb.
These large storage racks line one side of a wall in Jim Douglas’ farm shop near Flat Rock, Ind. This makes use of space while providing easy access to stored items.
Most farms need a place where they can store parts and other items that are important but not used very often. The Maples’ farm in Kokomo, Ind., is no exception. This 20-by-30-foot loft provides handy storage for the shop. Photo courtesy of Morton Buildings.
Several cabinets and bins tucked neatly around the shop and in the loft allow for plenty of parts storage.
These storage racks for items that aren’t used every day are situated along the wall of the main drive inside the building. Nothing is ever parked in front of them for very long, says Jim Douglas, Flat-Rock, Ind., farmer. Most items are on pallets so they can be retrieved easily with a pallet fork.
A parts and supply storage loft keeps the shop floor clear in this South Dakota farm shop on Daniel and Jason Tolzin's farm.
Photo courtesy of Lon Tonneson
The air compressor is inside the parts storage room, not in the main shop, to cut down on noise. Currently, the shop doesn’t have air lines running air around the shop, although the Krons intend to install them. “They weren’t a priority because we don’t do a lot with air, but it will be handy to have easy air access,” Ben says.
Hose reels for supplying air are positioned in convenient places. One is even located in the machinery storage section of the building.
One of the loudest noisemakers in most farm shops is the air compressor. This one is located outside the shop itself, inside the unheated machine storage area. This also helps reduce the noise level in the shop.
Wooden workbenches against the wall provide good counter space for working. There is also room for storage underneath the workbenches. Note the number of electrical outlets visible above the workbench in this photo.
Jim Douglas (left) talks to a visitor during the Indiana Farm Management Tour. Note the slick workbench tabletops in the shop. They were made from sections of bowling alley floor, he says.
The Tolzins built a tool rack to store impact wrenches in one place.
A 5-foot-deep service pit, with stairs for easy access, is a key feature. Excellent lighting and ready tool access allow Jason Maple to service trucks and equipment regardless of the weather. “This service pit allows us to catch things before they go wrong, often before we have a complete breakdown in-season,” Maple says.
This bulk oil center contains oil and grease for all machinery servicing, which provides a significant savings. The Maples’ equipment dealer brings the oil in totes and removes used oil.
This well-furnished, comfortable boardroom is in the farm shop and office complex at Maple Farms near Kokomo, Ind. Photo courtesy of Tom J. Bechman
This simple but inviting space works well for Ronnie Mohr, Greenfield, Ind. Farm employees have room to eat lunch, even fix lunch, and just sit for a short break.
Photo courtesy of Tom J. Bechman
Photo courtesy of Darrell Boone
The smaller portion of this building, located on the right side, houses an office. This makes it easy for someone coming to do business at the farm to know where to go.
A 20 by 20-foot office attached to the shop is a handy space for the Tozlins to meet, eat lunch and even take naps between checking cows during calving season. Three-year-old Jacilyn is right at home with her father in the office. Photo courtesy of Lon Tonneson.
This area with a washer and dryer plus clothes storage is just below the door to the upstairs storage loft in the shop. Jim Douglas says most people who work at the Flat Rock, Ind., farm wash clothes at one time or another.
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