Gemperle Farms’ Success Story- The Poultry Business Magnate with a Heart for Quality
Ernie Gemperle starting his farm
Born in Switzerland, Ernie Gemperle immigrated to the United States in 1949. A year later and with $12 in his pocket, Ernie embarked on a poultry business in Washington. In 1951 he sold his lease and moved to Turlock were he started building a new Gemperle farm. Ernie quickly became one of the leading farmers selling eggs in Central California. In November of 1953, Ernie was drafted into the US Army. He therefore leased his ranch to a local friend, Bob Guthrie.While he was in the Army, serving during the Korean War, he married Annemarie. He came back in February of 1956 and continued operating his poultry business along with his new wife.
Working hand in hand, the two continued to expand their business. They made innovations that helped produce organic eggs more safely and efficiently. In 1958 they purchased their first bulk feed tank. This eliminated the back breaking job of moving feed sacks and helped protect the feed from rodents. At this time, Gemperle Farms also started to wash organic eggs with two Aquamagic egg washers. This significantly improved Gemperle eggs’ safety. In 1961, Ernie’s brother, Walter Gemperle, joined the company and started the Gemperle family orchards division. The family continued a policy of slow deliberate growth to meet local needs.
Ernie was instrumental in working with other local producers in forming marketing coops, a common feed mill and food safety programs such as the California Egg Quality Assurance Program. In the 1990’s Gemperle Family Farms switched from barns to cage-free.
At the present, Gemperle family farms continues to produce many types of eggs from traditional shell eggs, eggs in colony barns, to specialty eggs such as browns, organic, cage free and Omega 3. We invite you to try our eggs and some of our wonderful egg recipes on our Gemperle Family Farm website.
