As awful as it was, the Great Depression did teach people to be creative. They found ways to use things they once might have discarded.

The Vahle operation, outside Jerseyville, Illinois, is undergoing a generational change, and Gary Vahle has used this time to add a key piece of infrastructure to the corn and soybean farm.

Leroy Erickson got his new farm shop just in time for his 70th birthday. For decades, the Ramona, South Dakota, farmer used an old barn with no heat and a dirt floor to store tools and repair machinery. He always wanted a new shop but could never pull the trigger on it.

The best tool for designing a new shop is a tape measure, says Dan Nyberg, sales training manager for Morton Buildings Inc. Measure the footprint of your field equipment and trucks, and consider how the equipment will fit.