Robert Cheesman - November 2018
This month we are pleased to feature Bob Cheeseman of Ashton, Illinois. Bob joined the DCI Team in 2017. Bob loves the opportunity to travel and make fast friends of the growers that he works with in-season. Bob is valued team member due to his dedication to the ag industry, customer service skills, and his upbeat personality. Please enjoy reading more about Bob in this month's Contractor Spotlight!
How did you get involved with DCI?
My wife, Linda, was making recruitment calls for DCI. Having lost another farm due to being sold, I was thinking that I was being pushed closer to retirement by not having much to do. My wife said that I should see what DCI had for me to do, so I sent in my application. Some days later I received a call that said they needed someone to calibrate planters in my area. So I decided to see what it was all about and I'm glad I did.
Tell us about your background:
I graduated from Ashton High School in 1968 and immediately started to farm with my father. I have been farming ever since - raising corn, soybeans and hogs.
What is the best thing about being a DCI contractor?
I love the traveling to places I've never been to and 99% of the farmers I calibrate for are very friendly. When I talk to them about farming and family they really open up and become fast friends.
Share with us about your home and family:
I met my wife at our local 4H fair and two years later I married my best friend on April 7, 1973. We have 5 sons and presently 7 grandsons (no granddaugthers, YET).
When performing contract work, I am driving:
I have a 2011 1/2 ton Ram Big Horn pickup truck with a roll up tonneau cover to keep parts safe and dry.
What was your first job?
My first off-farm job was driving trucks to different air fields to fill Del Monte spray planes.
What do you do the first hour of the morning?
The first hour of the morning I grab a cup of coffee and sit down at the computer to look at the sports and news.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Love to fish. The last 3 years I've gone to Canada with a couple of my sons and the fishing is totally awesome. I'd love to go with all my sons at one time, as they all love fishing. I also have completed my 49th consecutive year of league bowling and hoping to complete one more for 50.
What is your greatest achievement?
Convincing my wife to stay married to me for 45+ years.
What are you ordering for your favorite meal?
BBQ ribs
What is your favorite sports team and music group?
Favorite sports team: Chicago Cubs. Favorite music group: The Zac Brown Band.
What is the happiest memory of your life?
The day I married the love of my life and the birth of our sons and grandsons.
Tell us about your favorite pet:
Several dogs I had...all unique in their own way.
What three people (living or not) would you invite to a dinner party?
Jesus, Thomas Jefferson & Abraham Lincoln
Who did you see at the first concert you attended?
I have never really been to a concert but would like to see Zac Brown Band.
What historical figure do you admire most?
Abraham Lincoln, talk about a president with the weight of the nation on his shoulders.
Do you have a guilty pleasure?
When I am driving (especially after calibrating planters) and come to a Dairy Queen, I find it VERY difficult to drive by without ordering a Pecan Cluster Blizzard.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
Be humble and kind, it costs nothing but pays big dividends.
