Practical Ways to Keep Your Farm Office Organized and Productive

Keeping an orderly farm office can be just as challenging — and important — as maintaining your farm shop. Here are ideas Successful Farming has collected from farm families to make your team’s space functional.

Start With Self-Awareness

Ask yourself:

• How many people work from this office?
• What kind of office habits do they have?
• What are the office’s most important functions?

Practical for People

Whether you reset your current space or build a new office, consider how many people it needs to serve. Make sure to get input from them as you plan, so you invest wisely.

Industrial designer Matt Beale, president of Pittsburgh-based design consortium Daedalu, is credited with saying, “Design is about making things good (and then better) and right (and fantastic) for the people who use and encounter them.”

A Cornell University study published in 2020 found that a good physical work environment, particularly low noise and good air quality, had a measurable and significant impact on job satisfaction. To a lesser degree, temperature and lighting also impacted comfort and satisfaction.

Office Habits

Once you identify whom the office serves, consider the team’s work style. 

Professional organizer and content creator Christen Fackler encouraged followers to build a system complementing current habits, not the habits you wish for. For example, if junk mail and food wrappers pile up on your desk, put a wastebasket within arm’s reach, so throwing trash away doesn’t require extra effort.

Are You a Filer?

If you’re the type who categorizes, color-codes, and labels everything, investing in organization, such as file cabinets, is likely a good plan. Binders with sheet-protecting sleeves may also be a practical solution for regularly accessed papers.

Piles Are Your Style

If you’re a piler, select your office furniture accordingly. Filing cabinets waste space if nobody uses them.

• A bigger desk paired with stackable paper trays may work better for you. If you’re challenged for space, a wall-mounted magazine rack may be a good parking spot for your papers.
• A “read, file, sort, send” system may be more sustainable than a detailed filing setup.
• An accordion folder that can travel from truck to office may keep scale tickets and receipts from ending up on the dashboard or in pockets.
• Limit yourself to one catchall spot. Once it is full, put its contents where they belong.

Keep frequently used items one to two steps away, Fackler recommended. This increases the likelihood you put them away when you’re done.

Digital Organization

With so much farm business happening online, digital organization is critical. Step-by-step tutorials are available on YouTube or service providers’ websites to help you organize your inbox and cloud storage. Consult these resources for more specific instructions:

• Email folders allow for easy retrieval of important correspondence.
• Cloud storage with Google Drive, Dropbox, or similar services can be an efficient way to file your digital documents.
• A shared digital calendar can help a busy team keep track of important dates, meetings, and appointments. A variety of shared calendar options are available in your device’s app store. 
• A wall-mounted version may be a great solution. For example, The Skylight Calendar auto-syncs with a variety of calendar apps, including Google, Apple, and Outlook.

Privacy and Security

• Consider an office with a door to separate loud talkers or people who are on the phone often. 
• If videoconferencing happens in your office, a private space with a strong internet connection, good lighting, and aesthetic background might be worth prioritizing.
• If your farm shop is attached to the machinery shop, consider extra insulation for sound control. If individual offices or a quiet work environment aren’t possible, consider noise-canceling headphones. Don’t forget to designate a spot to charge and store them when not in use.
• You may want to secure your office’s exterior with a keypad entry or video doorbell system.
• A fireproof safe is a wise choice for irreplaceable documents.
• A first-aid kit and fire extinguisher are smart farm office supplies.
• List emergency phone numbers and other critical information in an easy-to-access space.

Other Tools to Consider

• Desktop organizer: Keeping deskbound office supplies corralled is a great first step to controlling clutter. A variety of solutions are available from major retailers. For a budget-friendly option, an old mug will do the trick.
• Drawer dividers: These can transform your junk drawer into a designated home for paper clips, Post-its, and tape.
• Declutter: Does the office need all those rulers and yardsticks? Is more than one cup of pens necessary? Can you part with a few of the seed caps you’ve never worn? How many drinking vessels do you really use? 
• Key rack: Multiple keys, missing keys, mystery keys — sound familiar? An key rack may be a practical solution. A simple group of hooks in an accessible place might suffice. For a more secure option, a variety of passcode-protected key cabinets is available. However you choose to organize, remember to label them.
• Cord management: Unmanaged cords can take up valuable workspace and collect dust. 
• Mounting a power strip under your desk with a few command strips may be helpful. 
• Cable labels are readily available from a variety of retailers.
• A small adhesive cable holder can keep frequently used charging cords handy. Alternatively, charging stations that accommodate phones, iPads, smartwatches, and headphones all at once are available online. Many devices are capable of wireless charging.
• Equipment hub: If your operation uses radios, tablets, or other technology taken to the field each day, a dedicated docking area can be helpful. Ensure that chargers and cleaning supplies are readily available.
• Digitize: A handheld scanner can make quick work of paper clutter. Alternatively, photograph documents you may want to reference later, so you can pitch the paper.
• Standing desk: A number of standing or convertible desks can make long hours at the computer more comfortable.
• Dual monitors: Multiple monitors may make some tasks easier. Ensure that desks are large enough to accommodate more than one screen.

Bonus Facilities

Depending on your situation, the farm’s office likely serves as much more than a place to store paperwork and take phone calls. Consider investing in a kitchenette, meeting space, shower, or laundry facilities that could serve you well.

Kitchenette

A kitchenette makes the office space feel more homey and saves on off-farm trips for meals. If you often host, an on-site kitchen may make that easier. This can be as simple as adding a dorm fridge, microwave, and sink. A coffeepot might be essential for your crew, too. You can accomplish this simple upgrade for less than $500.

However, if your shop or office also becomes the family gathering hub, consider a full kitchen. Remember to add enough outlets for slow cookers and roasters. If your farm family has a tradition of processing game, canning, or freezing sweet corn together, make sure to factor in those needs.

Meeting Space

If your office hosts team meetings, visitors, or external business partners, a dedicated meeting space might be a wise investment.

If you build from scratch, to maximize this space’s functionality, consider strategically placing it near the entry of the office, bathrooms, and kitchenette. A generous number of outlets allows for flexibility in technology and room arrangements as needs change. Be mindful of windows and treatments to control glare.

A dedicated room with a door, furnished with a large table and appropriate chairs, is a budget- friendly starting point. A whiteboard or flip chart is an economical way to facilitate visuals.

You could enhance a meeting space with a large TV, LCD projector, or video calling capabilities. Be sure to have a variety of adapters on hand to prevent technical issues. A strong, stable internet connection is vital. A busy farm may benefit from being able to reserve the room via your digital calendar. Consider posting the Wi-Fi password in this room for guests.

Shower and Laundry Facilities

If your farm shop is far from home, or your operation includes livestock, shower facilities may be a convenient investment.

A plastic shower caddy easily keeps track of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Alternatively, for a more communal option, you could purchase a wall-mounted dispenser for less than $50. 

Hooks help keep clean clothes and towels off the ground. Consider a locker-room-style arrangement, with storage for business apparel or winter gear.

If biosecurity is a concern, ensure your design separates contaminated clothing, towels, and washrags from clean items. Specific tips for biosecure showers are available from Extension and industry experts.

Cleanliness

A high-traffic farm office can be difficult to keep clean. Consider these options:

• Install easy-to-clean flooring. Sealed concrete is a practical option.
• Locate bathrooms and other high-traffic stops near the entry.
• Intercept dirt and grime at the door:
• Boot brush
• Indoor and outdoor rugs
• Coatrack
• Biosecurity measures appropriate for your farm
• Stock a cleaning closet
• Mop and bucket
• Broom and dustpan
• Dusting rags and multipurpose cleaner
• Hire a cleaner to maintain this space during peak seasons, or at regular intervals.