DAVE GERKEN RETIREMENT

DAVE GERKEN RETIREMENT

Used

8

FARMER RETIREMENT SPOTLIGHT: DAVE GERKEN 50 years of farming. 44 years at Campbell Soup. A lifetime of hard work, family memories, and stories worth sharing. For 1977 Holgate High School graduate Dave Gerken, farming started alongside his Dad, brother, and �Uncle Chuck.� After high school, Dave took the money he'd saved for college and bought a John Deere 4020 instead. He knew he liked working with his hands more than sitting in a classroom! For 44 years, Dave worked at Campbell Soup, often working third shift before heading home to farm during the day. And this wasn't easy work! Dave remembers spending 10 hours a day pitchforking parsley out of crates for V8 production, or hand-unloading railcars full of bagged flour and kidney beans. �Now they don't have to do any of that stuff,� he recalled, reflecting on how times have changed. When we asked how important that job was to his farming operation, Dave shared a story about a lady at the FSA office who once asked if he had crop insurance. His response: �No, I have Campbell Soup.� Dave shared some wonderful memories with us. Three tractors working a 40-acre field with his Dad and brother. Cultivating beans at 4 mph in shorts while working on his suntan. And the family's famous �Gold Plated Wagon,� nicknamed long ago because his Dad thought it was too expensive! But what gave Dave the greatest satisfaction? Watching a crop grow throughout the season and seeing all that hard work produce a good harvest. After farming on his own for the past 30 years, Dave is ready for the next chapter. He retired from Campbell Soup four years ago, but you'll still find him working at Ottawa Ordinance in Ottawa, Ohio, a job he absolutely loves. Dave says there's no greater feeling than helping a customer who walks in unsure of what they're looking for, sharing his knowledge, and watching them leave with a smile. That feeling, he says, is priceless. Of course, Dave admits he probably spends more at the store than he makes working there! With more free time ahead, he's looking forward to attending more shooting events, spending time with his grandkids and cheering them on at their activities, and putting a lot more miles on his Harley-Davidson Wide Glide. He's even keeping a few pieces of equipment simply because they remind him of the people who were part of his journey. That's what makes a farm retirement special. It's not just machinery changing hands. It's a lifetime of memories behind every piece. We're honored that Dave has entrusted Limber Auctioneers with this important chapter, and we're proud to share a little of his story.