Small Beginning's

The Day's Of Small Beginning's

Zec. 4:10 instructs us not to dispise "the day of small beginning's." When we dispise something, we take it lightly; we disregard it and count it as nothing. When we are believing God for something "big", we need to remember that great things start small. We need to appreciate "the day of small beginning's," because the little things will grow if we recognize them, appreciate them, and honor them as gift's from God and indicator's of greater things to come.

The Poor Farmer, Ronnie Greene began farming at a very early age. He was 10 years old when he had the idea to build a chicken house and raise chicken's and sell them to a local restaurant that was owned by his parents in chesterfield, Virginia. Even at this age he was full of wisdom and many idea's. While Ronnie was in college he moved to Patrick County and settled in the Laurel Fork community with his parents. He began dairy farming and later went into vegetable farming. This is something he enjoyed with all his heart. He had many hired hand's helping him to accomplish his vision.

In the early 80's The Poor Farmer, Ronnie Greene was growing acre's & acre's of vegetable's on a farm in the Ballard area of Patrick County. In the fall of 1982 Ronnie ask Wilodean McAlexander, who at that time ran Meadow's of Dan Food Market, if he could set up beside the food market and sell his homegrown produce. She was very kind and allowed him to do this. Ronnie & his son, Jason build a shed on top of a truck bed and began to sell his homegrown produce along with lot's of local honey's and canfood.(Pictured above) This little vegetable farm stand was a success, the tourist's coming to the mountain's and off the blue ridge parkway found the poor farmer's little produce stand and responded so well to it that his customer's were taking up most of the parking space in the parking lot. He knew then that his little business could not stay where it was for much longer.

In the fall of 1983 Ronnie was still farming and selling his homegrown produce between The car care center and Meadow's of Dan Food Market, he looked across the road one day in amazement and he saw an old Gulf Service Station that my uncle Doug Puckett used to run, with a sign in the front of it that said, "For Lease". Little did the Poor Farmer know that this was the beginning of his distiny. In January 1984 he leased this old service station with it's two service bays and he spent two month's remodeling it until you couldn't tell it was once a service station. The old run down service station now looked like an old fashion country store. In March 1984, the poor farmer, Ronnie Greene, opened it up for business and named it Poor Farmer's Market. Now the Poor Farmer had more room for his customer's to park and shop and it was definitely a success.

In 1985 Ronnie purchased some land in the Vesta area, about 5 miles from the other store in Meadows of Dan and immediately started farming on his new mountain property, which to this day yield's the best homegrown mountain cabbage you will find anywhere! He then build a larger & more unique country store in the Vesta area and called it "Poor Farmer's Farm". Ronnie was now selling his homegrown mountain produce at both store locations and people would come from miles away just to buy the poor farmers homegrown mountain produce and the best part about it, his customer's now had two great locations to visit. Ronnie added many different gift's, souvenior's and unique food items over the years to both store's. His customer's loved the old fashion country store atmosphere while they browsed through all the unique items that represented day's gone by.

Ronnie is now no longer affiliated with the store he founded in Meadow's of Dan, but many of our customer's think we are because the name's are so similar, but the reason the names are so similar is because they both were founded by the same great entrepreneur, The Poor Farmer, Ronnie Greene.

As Ronnie looks back to the day's of small beginning's, he realize's that great things start small and he honor's and appreciate's them as gift's from God and indicator's of greater things to come.

Mr. & Mrs. Poor Farmer, Ronnie & Joyce Greene

Mr. & Mrs. Poor Farmer welcome you to come visit their farm and browse through their old fashion country store located in the Vesta area near Lover's Leap lookoff!

Poor Farmer's Farm
5 mile's east on U.S. Rt. 58 from Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 177.7
1/2 mile from Lover's Leap Lookoff
Vesta, Virginia 24177

Phone:276-952-2560



E-mail Mr. & Mrs. Poor Farmer




Yall' Come Now Ya Hear!