The Greenbrier Tractor Sales/Arbuckle Future Farmers of America Scholarship and has been established with the Greater Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation (GVCF) to support students at who are members of the Greenbrier East High School Chapter of FFA. This award will be part of the Greenbrier County Scholarship Program.
The scholarship was created by Jim Arbuckle of Lewisburg in honor of his family’s business that was a mainstay in the community for nearly 60 years. Greenbrier Tractor Sales Inc. was started in 1949 by his father, T. Alex Arbuckle, where it served the farmers of West Virginia and western Virginia until 2007.
Greenbrier Tractor Sales sold many lines of farm equipment, but for nearly 40 years specialized in Allis-Chalmers and New Holland. The later years saw the tractor business selling Massey Ferguson and Hesston. The highlight of the business, both socially and financially was 57 consecutive years of displaying tractors at the State Fair of West Virginia.
During those 57 years, Greenbrier Tractor Sales won trips to London, Mexico, Germany, South America, Italy and many resorts in the USA for their sales achievements.
Sam Snead, JC Snead, former Secretary of Agriculture Gus Douglass, former Senator Jay Rockefeller, and writer Stephen Coonts all purchased Allis-Chalmers and New Holland equipment from Greenbrier Tractor Sales.
Jim Arbuckle began work at the family business as a small boy. During his FFA days at Greenbrier East, he was Star Green Hand, State Farmer, treasurer, state champion in AgriBusiness, member of the soil judging and beef cattle judging teams, and his Hereford steer was reserved champion at the State Fair of West Virginia his freshman year.
For many years Greenbrier Tractor Sales allowed Greenbrier East Vo-Ag classes to assemble some of their implements at the school, plus supported the FFA after school work program, the ham, bacon and egg sale and the annual trip to Louisville, KY.
With supporting the Greenbrier East FFA for so many years, Greenbrier Tractor Sales hopes that an annual scholarship will be an added incentive for a selected Greenbrier East FFA student to attend college.
Greenbrier Tractor Sales, Inc. currently leases its building and property to Boone Tractor.
The fund will be administered by the Greenbrier Valley Community Foundation. GVCF was established in 1999 to ensure that the region remains an enriching environment where individuals and organizations have the resources needed to continue their vital work. It currently has $7 million in assets. Over the past 15 years, the foundation has distributed over $3.2 million to the community. This year, GVCF distributed $48,000 in scholarships. For more information about these scholarship funds, GVCF, or to learn how to establish a fund to benefit a cause you are passionate about, contact Courtney Smith, Executive Director, at 304-645-5620 or info@gvfoundation.org.