Why I Love Farmville

30 Farmville the Magazine

Why I Love Farmville

1. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN FARMVILLE AND WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU REMEMBER NOTICING ABOUT THE AREA?

I was born and raised in Farmville, so it's really not the first thing I noticed, but one of the first things I remember. We drove into town from Green Bay Road, so I remember the Kentucky Fried Chicken (where Dollar Bills is now). It had that huge bucket sign that used to turn. And I remember the cow mural at the bank, and the big rotating sign outside that used to display the time and temperature. Oh, and the traffic turning into the garment factory. (I'm really dating myself here).

2. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE FARMVILLE MEMORY?

My favorite Farmville memory was being allowed to send orders through the pneumatic tubes in Baldwin's when I was little. It was so scary and exciting at the same time. Actually, Baldwin's itself is a great memory. Those stairs! I am positive the Baldwin's staff wanted to run when they saw my coming.

3. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FARMVILLE GROW OR CHANGE?

How about a Thai restaurant? But really, Farmville Downtown has done such wonderful things to beautify the town and encourage business; I would love to see that happen for the areas outside the downtown area. There are many parts of Farmville that could use that sort of investment, especially all the entrances to town. And of course, I would love to see Farmville continue to become a more family-friendly place, including the reclaimamation of neighborhoods that are meant for families.

4. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE FARMVILLE TO PEOPLE NOT FROM HERE?

I would say Farmville is a place for dreamers and doers. The people in this community are so giving and active; it's really a joy to live and work here. If you dream it, it can happen here, which is not something every small town or even big cities offer, but Farmville really is a place for visionaries.

Juanita Giles

5. IF YOU HAD TO LEAVE FARMVILLE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, WHAT WOULD YOU MISS THE MOST?

Absolutely I would miss the people. Having grown up here, it's almost as if the entire town is my family (and I already have a big family). There's something really special about running into a cousin at the grocery store, and ten minutes later stopping on the street to talk to a VCBF volunteer, then running over to the hardware store and seeing my father there, then having lunch at a local restaurant and finding out how my favorite server's kids are doing in school, or how their grandma is. It's the sense of connection I would miss the most.