Company's 401(k) Plan.
01 February 2012
Brooks and Beverly Bauer have no plan to retire. Not because they haven’t saved enough money or didn’t make the right choices to be able to enjoy a successful retirement, but because they have designed a fulfilling work and family life that they have no desire to retire from.
Since 1997, the Bauers have owned and operated Two Bees Agricultural Research and Consulting, a consulting business that tests and collects data on the efficiency of agricultural products developed by companies ranging from small startups to national giants like DuPont. The family business, which employs three of the couple’s five children and one non-related employee (who they fondly refer to as their “adopted son,”) is headquartered at their 14-acre research farm in Escalon, California. In addition to their farm, the company also conducts field testing at a second research facility near Reedley as well as on farms located throughout central and northern San Joaquin Valley, Sacramento Valley and the coastal area of Watsonville and Salinas.
Raised on a farm near Manteca, Brooks has been in the agricultural research business since 1968 when he graduated from Utah State University with degrees in chemistry and entomology. It was at Utah State that Brooks met his wife Beverly, who at the time was studying writing, mass communications and library sciences. In the early years of their marriage, Brooks focused on gaining experience in the agricultural business, working for various companies and enjoying the excitement of several mergers and acquisitions. At the same time, Beverly enjoyed utilizing her education to pursue a career in the library sciences.
In the 1980s, the couple took their first step in achieving the freedom that they enjoy today when they opened their first business selling agricultural lumber, which operated for 15 years. In 1997, they opened their second and current business, Two Bees, on their family farm, which at the time, consisted of 5 acres. Today, Brooks is actively involved in the research and consulting side of the business while Beverly is responsible for running the day to day operations of the office.
Fifteen years later, the business has provided the couple with the flexible lifestyle they hoped to achieve. While the seasonal nature of the business of growing crops doesn’t allow them to vacation during the farming season, it does allow the couple to spend each December and January in Hawaii. For the past seven years, Brooks and Beverly have rented the same vacation home in Hilo, located on the Big Island. They have truly made Hawaii their second home by being actively involved in the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, creating a close group of friends and spending quality time with Brook’s brother and his family.
When the Bauers aren’t working or vacationing in Hawaii, they enjoy spending time with their seven grandchildren. Since all five of their children live nearby, the family is able to get together each month as well as for holidays and birthdays. They also enjoy hobbies such as gardening, cooking, writing, walking and doing word puzzles.
The couple plans to keep working until they are just too “old.” For them, retirement means having fun and doing what they want to do. By this definition, the Bauers are already retired. By creating a life where they are their own boss and enjoy their work, have the time to do the things they love and spend two months of the year in Hawaii, the couple sees no need to retire. After all, what would they retire from? They already have the freedom most people seek from retirement.