About
Jerry Gulke
Gerald (Jerry) Gulke was born and raised on a small grains & livestock farm near Ellendale, ND. After receiving his degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from North Dakota State University, he became employed with Sundstrand Corporation, an engineering company in Rockford, Illinois. It was while employed that Jerry started farming part-time and went on to receive a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL. It was also while employed at Sundstrand that Jerry put into practical use the business skill in financial analysis, project management, marketing and contract administration. He soon realized that he could better serve his long term goals by putting to use his skills and knowledge by being self-employed.
In 1975 Jerry began farming full-time in Northern Illinois, and is actively involved in an 1800 acre corn/soybean farm with his wife Jenny and his two daughters Ashley and Stephanie. He is also involved with his mother in the overall management of the original farm in North Dakota.
It was Jerry’s commons sense ability to manage his farm, and market his grains successfully in some of the most troubling times in agriculture that received attention from the media. In particular, Top Producer Magazine (a Farm Journal Publication) offered the opportunity to write finance/marketing and management articles during the early 1980's, and eventually the spot of monthly editor of the Marketing Strategy column, reaching over 250,000 subscribers. It was his monthly column in Top Producer which gained respect and attention among producers that lead him to the field of consulting, and the formation of Strategic Marketing Services, Inc.
In addition to his monthly Marketing Strategy column, Jerry writes a weekly Friday editorial column on DTN (a data information service reaching over 120,000 producers), and presents market outlook seminars throughout the US. He has also has a regular weekly (Friday) market commentary on WMT Radio (600 Am Cedar Rapids, IA), and is an occasional market commentator for the Linder Farm Radio Network in Minnesota. Visitors to the Chicago Board of Trade Visitor’s Center will also see Jerry, and his daughter Ashley, in the informative film on the CBOT that is shown to thousands each year in four different languages. This film feature has led Jerry to give presentations on farming and risk management to foreign visitors from France, Japan, Thailand, Denmark, and China. Jerry has also been featured on Wall Street Week and is a guest periodically on AgDay, a syndicated Ag television program. He also sits on an advisory board of investment capital of a large health systems organization that oversees nearly a billion dollars. Subsequently, Jerry has become one of the most respected market analysts in agriculture today with clients throughout the US and parts of Canada.
Jerry’s focus is to inform, educate, and aid producers and end-users in the area of "risk management" using all the tools available. These tools include futures, options, and cash contracts as well as to develop a sound focus on the market forces that influence agriculture prices. His view is that producers should be afforded the opportunity from the market place to capture profitable opportunities that will allow them a standard of living comparable to other non-Ag professions. Jerry has accomplished that task in his own personal life, and is dedicated to helping others who seek likewise goals.
Jerry’s outlook stems from the belief that we are living in the most exiting time in history, filled with opportunities, and that education, perseverance, commitment, accountability and flexibility, the financial & psychological rewards offered through production agriculture can be outstanding.