Our Story - Darvin and Cheryl Weaver
The Jonestown Ag story is intertwined with our family story. In our early married life (summer of 1988), we worked on a pig farm in the Cocalico area. Since Darvin had grown up with farming and enjoyed it, this job was a natural fit for him. But when the church asked us to serve in a faith-based men’s rehabilitation program in the Jonestown area, we consented and moved. We served there from February of 1994 until the beginning of 1999 and grew to love the area.
As our family began to grow up, we started looking for family-based work. In the spring of 1999, the Lord provided us with our present location just outside of Jonestown, PA. Since crop farming is seasonal and weather-dependent, we decided to return to raising pigs. But in response to community concerns, we turned to raising chickens instead. Looking back, we can see the clear leading of the Lord.
The chicken farm did not give me (Darvin) full-time labor. I had always had an interest in shop work, so we remodeled an old corn barn into a one-bay shop. We began by fixing skid loaders. Soon a local man with an excavating business came and wondered if I’d do his mechanic work. This involved repairs for bulldozers and excavators, and we needed more room. We remodeled the old bank barn in order to handle the expanded services.
Then our local farm supply store decided to sell out. This left our community farmers without the convenience of a local farm supply store. Our mechanic shop reluctantly began selling farming accessories such as bolts, batteries, hydraulic hoses, roller chain, etc. Obviously, there was a need.
On November 11, 2003, tragedy struck. Fire destroyed the shop and the retail items kept in the barn. After much prayer and counseling, we decided to rebuild the barn on the old foundation. We also began making plans to move our entire business to our present shop and store location. Looking back, we again see God clearly moving in these decisions.
One of the lessons we believe the Lord has been teaching us is that “Life has its crisis experiences, but that doesn’t mean we quit.” Crises may be the Lord’s way of directing us in a way we had never considered before.
And so, Jonestown Ag has continued to grow. It is our vision to:
- Serve the community with products and services that help them be successful in the difficult world of farming.
- Provide our employees with steady work that allows the expression of the gifts their Creator has endowed them with.
- Keep our services family-oriented so our family relationships can be blessed.
- Honor our Creator by seeking His will in all things.
Darvin and Cheryl Weaver