When Randy and Joyce Kron, Evansville, Ind., decided it was time to build a farm shop, they asked questions of friends all over the state, especially those who had built farm shops in the past. What features did they like, and what would they change?

“It really helped us focus in on what was important for the way we use a shop, and it let us find out and include some features we might have overlooked otherwise,” Randy says. The Krons farm with their son, Ben. Randy is also president of Indiana Farm Bureau Inc.

“We built this as a place to work, not a showplace,” Randy says. “At the same time, we wanted it to be comfortable and practical.”

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One decision they faced was how to heat the shop. “We were probably leaning toward heat in the floor using a boiler and hot water heat,” he says. “Many people have those systems and say they work great. Having heat near the floor in the winter makes sense.

“Then our contractor asked us to look at another alternative. He said he could install two natural gas furnaces and two air conditioners, and we could heat it economically, plus have an air-conditioned place to work in the summer.

“We went that way, and everyone who works here certainly would not want to be without the air conditioning now. Perhaps it makes more sense for us since it tends to be hotter and more humid here than farther north in the state in most summers.”

Ben says they keep the shop around 74 degrees F in the summer most of the time, and around 68 degrees in the winter. The system has proved to be economical to operate, and it adjusts quickly if the weather changes and you need to change settings, Ben says. He’s glad to have the air conditioning, concluding that it’s much easier to work on equipment when you’re not constantly hot and sweaty.

To see photos of the shop, check out the slideshow.