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Roger spent 57 years working the land before retiring from farming.

Originally from Arkansas, he’s called Vanduser home since 1954. “I bought a place down there back in ’82,” he said.

Farming was never just a job for Roger; it was a way of life. Even in retirement, he still spends time with his hands in the soil.

“I’ve worn out about a million combines,” he joked. “I’ve been busy my whole life. I still stay busy. I make a garden every year, too. One year I canned 37 quarts of cucumbers. I just give them to my kids. My wife, she was in the nursing home at the time, so I’d take some down there. They said it was the best pickles they ever ate.”

His wife passed away four years ago, but the memory of her strength stays with him.

“She was a hardworking lady,” he said.

Together, they raised five children, and today Roger enjoys time with his grandchildren.

“My boys served; two of them did four years each in the Navy. And my older brother, he served in the Korean War.”

Though Roger owns his home and has insurance, finances can still be tight.

“By the time I pay (bills), I don’t have too much left,” he said.

About a year ago, he started visiting one of Southeast Missouri Food Bank’s partner food pantries, where he receives a senior food box through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).

“It helps a lot,” he said of the box, which contains American grown and produced food, including protein, cereal, juice, fruits, vegetables and more.