Over the summer, Farm Credit of the Virginias hosted drive-thru ice cream socials around the Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland regions — a first-of-its-kind event series that helped to raise money for the dairy industry. In all, FCV was able to donate $23,500 to Virginia State Dairymen’s Association, the West Virginia State Dairy Board, and the Maryland Dairy Industry Association.
The events were called Farm Credit Dairy Days, and they were a customer-appreciation initiative that intended to celebrate dairy and the local communities, all while maintaining safety standards outdoors during the coronavirus pandemic.
Brad Cornelius, Chief Executive Officer of Farm Credit of the Virginias, said, “It was of utmost importance to FCV that we celebrated our customers this year and what better way to do that than with ice cream! We are thankful for our customer-owners’ continued business and are proud to support such a crucial industry with our donation. We anticipate the funds being used to advocate for our dairy farmers and encourage support of the dairy industry.”
The cooperative typically hosts customer appreciation events at each of its 22 branch offices on an annual basis. For this year, Farm Credit Dairy Days were held during the months of June and July, which are observed as National Dairy Month and National Ice Cream Month, respectively.
There are more than 70 Farm Credit lending institutions nationwide. FCV provides over $1.9 billion dollars in financing to more than 11,000 farmers, agribusinesses and rural homeowners throughout Virginia, West Virginia, and western Maryland.
