Who we are
Jay Barker and Rick Gregory, the founders of B & G Farms, are both natives of southern Virginia, with deep family ties to Southside Virginia and its farming community. They are successful entrepreneurs with decades of experience in family farming businesses, banking, law, economic development projects and financial investments. They have never abandoned their love for the land and work collaboratively with farmers, greenhouse operators, and agricultural researchers who are critical in creating a consistent supply of high-quality CBD Hemp biomass.
Jay Barker, Co-Founder
Rick Gregory, Co-Founder
Lessons Learned From the Tobacco Industry
The Company’s founders have a long tradition of working with the agricultural business community. Through its affiliates, Golden Piedmont Labs and US Agro Logistics, B & G Farms has been active in the hemp industry since its inception. B & G Farms has witnessed the industry’s up and downs and has had its fair share of disappointments. Despite these difficult times B & G Farms is optimistic about the future of the hemp industry. They saw first-hand how the tobacco leaf market had to adapt to international standards, necessary to ensure purity, quality and consistency, which is necessary to participate in global markets.
Like tobacco, for Hemp products to obtain premium pricing the hemp industry must become anchored in anchored in globally recognized Risk Management Practices, Good Agricultural Practices; Good Manufacturing Practices; Ethical Labor Practices, Sustainability Practices, Track & Trace Practices. For this reason, B & G Farms has created a platform which is built on these stringent global standards.
Company Mission
Rural communities in Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky have been hit hard by declining sales of products, and they have been searching for cash crops to replace tobacco. Given its agricultural profile, existing infrastructure, and labor skillsets, this region of the country is well positioned to take advantage of the demand for Hemp products. Using techniques and facilities similar to tobacco production, this region of the country is able to grow some of the world’s finest quality hemp. With this history in mind, the founders of B & G Farms have adopted the following mission statement.
B & G Farms was founded on the objective of contributing to the revitalization of rural economies. This starts with our brand, workplace, growers, partners and our employees. By positive collaboration, the Company aims to set benchmarks for excellence that will benefit both rural communities and consumers of our agricultural products.