Gerald (Jerry) Gulke was born and raised on a 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 still currently actively involved in the corn/soybean production. He is also involved in the overall management of the original farm near Ellendale, North Dakota which he has expanded in 2006 by purchasing an additional 400 ac bringing the total to over 2,000 ac.
It was Jerry’s common-sense ability to manage his farm, and market his production successfully in some of the most troubling times in agriculture that received attention from the media, leading ultimately to contributing editor of Top Producer Magazine writing the monthly Market Strategy column, reaching over 250,000 subscribers. It is 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 the Gulke Group, Inc .