Farm Credit of the Virginias

Drum roll please... We're delighted and proud to announce our cooperative will return $33 MILLION to our customer-owners this April through our annual patronage refund program. Our members can expect to receive their check by mail or hand delivery in the coming weeks. When you become a member of Farm Credit, our success becomes your success. To prove it, we share in our profits through our annual patronage refund program. As profits are returned to you, your cost of borrowing is reduced. Learn more: https://bit.ly/41oqgaA

In observance of Ag Literacy Week, our employees visited classrooms throughout our territory to read an ag-themed story and lead activities to help foster connections between students and agriculture. We purchased over 350 copies of the Ag in the Classroom book of the year, 'Outdoor Farm, Indoor Farm' by Lindsay H. Metcalf, to read and donate. The book joins two children as they explore the differences between indoor and outdoor farming practices. We look forward to this initiative each year and value the opportunity to support ag literacy in our rural communities.

Meet Matt Weston! Matt joined our team as a marketing & sales specialist in June 2023. Since joining the team, Matt has been a valuable asset. In his role, Matt serves as the liaison between our sales and marketing teams, ensuring that our marketing strategies closely align with the needs of our sales team. Additionally, Matt spearheads our regional, state and local events and sponsorships. Outside of work, Matt enjoys cooking new recipes, cheering on the Hokies and spending time with his family. Fun fact: Matt is a huge history buff. Read more: https://bit.ly/3DS4uWi

Virginia Secretary of Agriculture & Forestry, Matt Lohr, will be hosting another free networking event for beginning farmers to learn about farm financing options and cost share conservation opportunities. Join us on April 1st at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, Va. Our team will be on-hand to chat with attendees and answer questions related to farm financing. Please register by March 30th at the following link: https://bit.ly/425lFgk

To show a little extra gratitude for our hard-working staff on employee appreciation day (Friday, March 7), our management leadership team hosted employee appreciation breakfasts at each branch location across our footprint. Our human capital is our strongest asset, without whom we could not achieve our mission to support the success of our customer-owners as an engaged partner in agriculture and our rural communities.

Farm Credit's cooperative structure helps us fulfill our critical mission assigned by Congress – supporting rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services, today and tomorrow. We're guided by the 7 core principles of cooperatives that prioritize the needs of our customer-owners and rural communities. Learn more: https://bit.ly/43oYKOr

The West Virginia House of Delegates and Senate reconvened in Charleston for regular session in February. Yesterday, we were pleased to once again partner with our friends at West Virginia Farm Bureau to welcome back our state legislators with boxed lunches filled with products grown and prepared in West Virginia. Each boxed lunch or “WV Grazing Box” contained WV-grown and produced treats provided by Pilgrim's Pride, Flying W Farms LLC, Spring Valley Farm, Tom Darnell and Smoke Camp Crafts, catered by Fish Hawk Acres. We also set up a tradeshow space to engage with FFA students and champions of West Virginia agriculture that were invited to attend.

Meet Scott Howerton! Scott has been with our cooperative for more than 20 years. As our controller, he supervises our finance and accounting operations, including internal controls, cash management and fixed assets. Outside of work, Scott can be found playing volleyball (on sand or grass courts) or tinkering with his classic cars. Read more: https://bit.ly/43eS5Gc

Proud is an understatement. On #GiveFFADay, in partnership with our friends at Colonial Farm Credit and Horizon Farm Credit, our cooperative gifted a total of $21,000 to the three state FFA associations within our footprint; Virginia FFA, West Virginia FFA and Maryland FFA. We know these funds will be used to support and develop the next generation of leaders in the science, business and technology of agriculture. #FFA #FFAWeek #FFAWeek25

Our cooperative recently announced that the board of directors elected new officers to provide board leadership and oversight. They will serve these roles until Dec 31, 2025 (with the possibility of an additional term). Please join us in congratulating former vice chairperson, Kevin Craun, who was elected to serve as chairperson of the board, and Charles “Chuck” Horn, who was elected to serve as vice chairperson of the board. Read more: https://bit.ly/4aOItUm