Gossen Farm awarded; proud of four generations of farming

More than 100 years and four generations of farming on the Gossen Family Farm in Acadia Parish drew attention during the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation’s 97th Annual Convention recently held in New Orleans.
The Gossen Family Farm was one of five farms inducted into the Century Farm Program and awarded the Louisiana Century Farm Award.
The Century Farms Program was created through a partnership between the Louisiana Land Bank, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, the LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.
A total of 64 family farms have been recognized in the program representing all aspects of farming in Louisiana.
“Our family is so proud of this recognition,” said third-generation family member Henrietta Gossen Didier. “Our grandfather (William J. Gossen) began something here that is still being cared for by the fourth generation.”
The Gossen Family Farm is located in Acadia Parish in an area once known as Plaquemine Brulé, just north of Roberts Cove.
Founder of the Gossen Farm was William Joseph Gossen, born in Gangelt, Germany, in 1871 and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 10 years old. They made their home in the Roberts Cove area with numerous other families of German ancestry.
Gossen purchased three tracts of land totaling 247 acres in 1908 from Jacob Frankel of Crowley where he operated a mercantile store.
The principal crop grown was rice, but Gossen also grew corn, wheat, oats, sweet potatoes and cotton. He also raised beef cattle to include a varied farm. Today, the three main commodities are rice, soybeans and crawfish.
Gossen and his wife, the former Anna Zaunbrecher, were the parents of three sons, Nicholas Joseph, Henry and Charles; and three daughters, Louise, Clara and Agnes.
Eventually, Gossen purchased additional property that was turned over to his son, the Nicholas Joseph Gossen Farm.
Upon his completion of school, the second son, Henry P. Gossen (second generation) worked with his father, William, on the farm until he permanently took over the farming operation in 1943. Then in 1956, Henry inherited his portion of the farm which included 164 acres.
Through the ensuing years, the operation expanded even more when Henry purchased additional property from his brother Charles and other surrounding neighbors.
Henry and his wife, the former Julia Olinger, were the parents of five children. In 1959, son Herbert Gossen (third generation) joined his father, Henry, in the farming operation.
Rice continued as the primary crop with soybeans as the secondary. In 1983, the farm changed to a partnership.
Herbert and his wife, the former Elaine Leonards, had 11 children. In 1988, Hebert’s son, Dwayne Gossen (fourth generation) took over farming operations.
In the years following, the Gossen Farm continued to expand its operation with the acquisition of rental farmland in the nearby and surrounding areas.
In 1989, Dwayne added a complete rice drying and storage facility. The total grain storage capacity is now 35,000 barrels of rice (one barrel equals 162 pounds).
In 2001, the name of the farm was changed to H & J Gossen Properties, LLC, in remembrance of Henry and Julia Gossen.
The current owners of the corporation are Henrietta Gossen Didier, Gilbert Gossen, Herbert Gossen and Donald Gossen (third generation), four children of Henry and Julia Gossen.
As of 2018, the total acres owned by H & J Gossen Properties, LLC, is 365 acres.
In 2008, the farm water well and irrigation system was converted from a natural gas system to electrical to provide a more economical system of water for crops and crawfish production. During the upgrade, the open canal system of flooding rice was replaced by underground irrigation lines. The operation has approximately two miles of sub-service irrigation lines.
Later in 2010, in order for the operation to continue to expand, it diversified by adding crawfish production. A few years later, crawfish production increased to a point where a complete purging and grading system was added to the processing operation.
The purging system allows the crawfish to be cleaned, providing a more desirable marketing product. In 2017, the operation processed and sold 16,818 pounds of crawfish.
Additional Gossen Family Farm photos and information can be found inside on page 14A.