General Farm & Ranch Operations
Farm Record Retention Guide
A farm record retention guide for deciding how long to keep tax, land, animal, chemical and employee records, and when to store or shred them, with a reminder to confirm periods with advisors.
Download free PDF1 page, US Letter, prints clean in black and white
GuideGeneral Farm & Ranch OperationsFree PDF
The steps on this page
- List record types you keep
- Ask your tax professional about tax records
- Check state rules for animal records
- Check label rules for chemical records
- Ask your attorney about contracts and titles
- Set storage place for each type
- Mark a review date each year
- Shred old paper safely
- Back up key files
How to use this guide
Read the steps once through before you start, then keep the page nearby while you work. Use the notes lines to add what your own setup needs.
Where to check the details
This sheet is a general template, so confirm specifics with your own manuals, labels and local rules. For current official guidance, start with IRS and USDA.
For more in this area, see the rural farm life guides. Between chores, farm.FM has farm humor, including Record Farm Payments Require Record Suffering, and farming farm stories.