River Road Greenhouse attributes their success to their simple, yet efficient way of doing business—much like their relationship with Farm Credit.

After years of experience working for other greenhouse operations, Johannes Barendse and his wife, Karen, opened River Road Farm and Greenhouses, LLC, in 2005. They farm 25 acres and have 65,000 square feet of greenhouse in Marcy, NY. They grow bedding plants and baskets in the spring, mums over the summer and then poinsettias for the holiday season.

Their sales have grown more than five times since the business began. Johannes attributes this growth to his simple, yet modern and efficient way of doing business—noting it’s much like his relationship with Farm Credit East.

Consistency is key 

“In my past roles with other greenhouse businesses, we worked with commercial banks. There was a lot of turnover and no consistency in the relationship,” Johannes said. “So Farm Credit East has been great to work with. It’s why I get to head out on vacation at the start of tax season!"

Johannes relies on his team at Farm Credit East and trusts they will always get the job done and take care of their employees with their accounting needs. Karen uses the CenterPoint® Accounting software to complete the farm’s books. “This is a great tool to help us make business decisions quickly,” Karen commented.

Personable, practical and always professional

Farm Credit East’s financial service offerings helped River Road Greenhouses learn more about what’s happening in their business. "The staff is personable and practical, and always professional. They get the job done simply and efficiently–just how I like it,” said Johannes

Johannes is a member of his local customer service council and serves on the association nominating committee. “Through this process, I’ve been impressed with the farmers I meet and the progressive leadership of Farm Credit East," he said. "The organization isn’t stagnant. They’re always looking for ways to improve, which adds confidence to my relationship with them. I trust that if we have a bad year, they’ll be there to back us up.”