Farm Credit's Features Bob's Market in Ag & Culture Video Series
In late April, Farm Credit of the Virginias released the latest installment of its Ag & Culture video series featuring Mason, West Virginia-based, Bob’s Market and Greenhouses.
Bob’s Market and Greenhouses was founded in 1970 by Robert “Bob” Barnitz and his wife, Corena. The business started as a roadside market selling fresh produce. Now in its 50th year of operation, Bob’s Market is a major specialized young plant producer, in addition to shipping finished product across the country. The Barnitz' maintain more than a million square feet of growing space. The business, now owned and managed by Bob’s five adult sons and their families, operates through four wholesale market locations and two production and distribution locations.
Two of Bob’s sons, Scott and Bobby Barnitz, are featured in the Ag & Culture video discussing the history of their business, the life cycle of their products from seedling to customer, the rewarding nature of their industry, some challenges they’ve faced, and most importantly, the role of family and community in their business.
The Ag & Culture video series is produced in collaboration with Farm Credit of the Virginias and its’ Knowledge Center team to provide viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the day-to-day operation of a given farm or agribusiness. The quarterly videos are geared toward educating the general consumer who may not be exposed to the opportunities and challenges that lie within different sectors of the agriculture industry across our footprint.
The families featured in the Ag & Culture series are not only upstanding members of their rural communities, fierce advocates for the industry, and savvy business-owners, but also Farm Credit of the Virginias customer-owners who leverage our cooperative structure and reliable financing to meet their operational goals. Additionally, many of the business-owners highlighted in the series are participants and consumers of our Knowledge Center’s programming, showcasing the value-add of these resources.
Operations featured in recent installments include; Woodlake Tree Farm, a Christmas tree farm in Oakland, Maryland; Wood Ridge Farm Brewery, a farm and brewery in Lovingston, Virginia; Harmony Harvest Farm, a fresh-cut flower farm in Weyers Cave, Virginia; and the most recent release, Bob’s Market & Greenhouses, a wholesale plant and seedling greenhouse operation in Mason, West Virginia.
To access the full library of Ag & Culture videos, visit the Farm Credit of the Virginias YouTube channel (@FarmCreditVAs). The Bob's Market feature can be accessed directly at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qammGowmRGs.
Don’t miss a single release! To stay up-to-date on the latest Ag & Culture video releases, as well as general industry updates, events and resources, follow Farm Credit of the Virginias (@FarmCreditofVirginias) and the Knowledge Center (@FCKnowledgeCenter) on Facebook.
About Farm Credit of the Virginias
Farm Credit of the Virginias provides over $1.8 billion dollars in financing to more than 11,000 farmers, agribusinesses and rural homeowners throughout Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland. Farm Credit is a cooperative capitalized largely through investments made by farmers, ranchers and the rural homeowners and businesses that borrow from them. In fact, as part of a nationwide network they are the largest single provider of agricultural credit in the United States and have been for over 100 years. Farm Credit helps maintain and improve the quality of life in rural America and on the farm through its constant commitment to competitive lending, expert financial services and for facilitating and sharing knowledge and resources through the Farm Credit Knowledge Center. For more information, visit www.FarmCreditKnowledgeCenter.com or www.FarmCreditofVirginias.com.