Farm Credit of the Virginias Celebrates Ag Literacy Week
This week, employees of Farm Credit of the Virginias, a regional lending cooperative, donated 350 books to elementary school classrooms and libraries across their tristate territory in celebration of Agriculture (Ag) Literacy Week, which takes place March 13-17, 2023.
Ag Literacy Week is a yearly observance in March organized by Ag in the Classroom (AITC) in which a book is designated and volunteers from agricultural organizations and businesses donate copies of the story to local classrooms and volunteer to read the story and lead students in ag-related activities. The 2023 AITC book of the year is, “I Love Strawberries!” by Shannon Anderson, in which the main character, Jolie, an aspiring entrepreneur, learns first-hand the hard work and responsibility that goes into growing strawberries.
“During Agriculture Literacy Week, volunteers help our youth learn about the sources of their food, make connections with local farms and agribusinesses, and discover the importance of agriculture in their daily lives. This special week grows in popularity each year among classes and volunteers” said Tammy Maxey, Programs Director for Virginia AITC.
Now in its 13th consecutive year, Farm Credit is pleased to participate in yet another Ag Literacy Week and support the efforts of AITC. Over the last 6 years, Farm Credit of the Virginias has donated more than 1,600 books to classrooms in their footprint.
Farm Credit of the Virginias Chief Brand Officer, Katie Frazier, shared, “Farm Credit of the Virginias' team members look forward to participating in Ag Literacy Week every year. We are especially excited to bring the 2023 AITC book of the year to classrooms in our rural communities, as the story emphasizes that anyone can be a farmer." Frazier continued, “The story of agriculture is a great one and we cherish the opportunity to share it with students across Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.”
About Farm Credit of the Virginias
Farm Credit of the Virginias provides over $2 billion dollars in financing to more than 12,000 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.