Bill Hammerstrom
Bill Hammerstrom is our FCFB Golden Corridor Center Director
Bill Hammerstom lives everyday by the same motto: “Quitters never win; winners never quit.”
Hammerstrom is a second generation farmer who grew up on a 40-acre farm in Kingsburg. In 2001, he bought his own 20-acre ranch, and now farms peaches, fresh sugar plums and alfalfa hay under the entity of Hammertime Company. “This gives me a chance to get away from the phone and keeps me engaged with the agriculture community from a hands-on perspective,” he said.
Hammerstrom’s primary responsibilities are to Superior Sales, Inc., where he has been the company’s produce salesperson for six years. He specializes in sales of tree fruit, grapes and citrus. His sales include 100 percent of his own crop.
Hammerstrom acknowledges that working in this industry is not an easy task. “Every day is a challenge, and I enjoy challenges in life,” he said.
Hammerstrom said his job comes with great responsibility, but it also comes with great opportunity. His travels have included Canada, Mexico and China, where he has visited customers, developed new customer relationships, followed and reviewed produce shipments, and studied market trends. “It is interesting to see how these countries are developing and the role they can play for local agriculture,” he said. In addition to his foreign travels, he travels within the states to attend produce marketing trade associations and events.
Hammerstrom has been a successful produce salesperson for 12 years, but he hasn’t always been in produce sales.
Rodeo a hobby, profession
Ever since Hammerstrom was 13 years old, he has been involved with rodeo. Growing up on the family ranch, he worked with quarter horses and roped throughout his high school years.
Hammerstrom’s love for rodeo and agricultural background led him to pursue a degree at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where he graduated in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business, with a concentration in marketing. Throughout his college tenure, his most engaging extra-curricular activity was through the rodeo team.
Hammerstrom’s involvement with the Cal Poly rodeo team led him to his dream to rodeo professionally. For more than three years following college, he rodeoed professionally full time as a calf roper, team roper and a steer wrestler.
“This was an unbelievable experience,” Hammerstrom said. After a few years of being entrenched with rodeo full time, he decided it was time to move on. He was tired of being “rodeo rich” one day, and poor the next. In 1995, shortly after getting married, he started his career in produce sales.
However, Hammerstrom continued to rodeo professionally part-time until 2002, and is considering picking it back up again, or at least competing at a higher level. He continues to stay sharp by actively competing at local team roping events.
Priority shift
Over the past 12 years, Hammerstrom’s priority has been his family. He has been married to Karri for 12 years, and they have two children: a daughter Macey, 9, and a son Cy, 3. The Hammerstroms are enjoying their new home on their 20-acre ranch in Kingsburg.
Bill and Karri met when they were going to school at Cal Poly, when Karri was majoring in city and regional planning and minoring in ag business. Karri now works for Cilion, an ethanol company, as manager of environmental permitting and legislative development. She previously was FCFB’s issues coordinator.
Hammerstrom recently took his daughter Macey to Sierra Summit for a daddy-daughter session on snow skiing, the first of what will be many trips up the mountain. In addition to snow skiing, Hammerstrom enjoys hunting, fishing, golfing and water skiing, activities that he hopes to share with his children as they grow older.
Hammerstrom’s challenge is to balance his time. He is a member of Friends of Rodeo, California Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited, California Deer Association, American Quarter Horse Association, Cal Poly Rodeo Boosters and Alumni group, Tri-County Produce Golf Tournament committee member, Kingsburg Gun Club, Rancheros Visitadores (trail riding group), and serves as the FCFB Board as the Golden Corridor Center Director.
“Farm Bureau has allowed me to broaden my horizons,” Hammerstrom said. “It has allowed me to take field knowledge and apply it to policy that affects California agriculture. It has given me the opportunity to voice local agriculture at the state level.”
Hammerstrom has provided a voice for local farmers for more than three years. Meanwhile, he plans to grow and expand Hammertime Company, providing a way of life for the growing Hammerstrom household.
Meet Your Board Members Profile: Ag Today, Mar 08
By: John Migliazzo