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Remembering Trey Yates and the legacy he leaves behind
RAINELLE, WV (WVNS) — On Sunday morning, the agricultural community of West Virginia lost one of their own.
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Trey Yates, owner of Greenbrier Dairy was an entrepreneur, an advocate, and a valued member of the farming community of Greenbrier County.
When I first met Trey, he met me at the Farm Service Agency in Beckley to talk about how the recent federal cuts were affecting his business.
I did not expect the man who spoke so clearly and passionately and knowledgeably to be so young.
Trey was only 28 when he left this world, but his mother, Stephanie Yates, says he has left behind a legacy that won't soon be forgotten.
'He would just smile at somebody and I've had people contact me and say, well, you know, 'Trey helped me carry in some groceries or he smiled and waved at my grandkids.' The kids across the street and they left toys and flowers at the Greenbrier Dairy on the cow bench that we have there and just because he would smile at them in the mornings. It's, you know, he touched their lives just because he would smile at them in the mornings and wave at them. They said they're really gonna miss him.' said Yates.
Trey also touched the lives of his follow farmers as someone who was known to be a quiet, no-nonsense, but forever giving and helpful man.
Spencer Moss, Executive Director of the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition, said she and her staff are still trying to process his loss.
'Trey's loss has certainly been really challenging on our team. There's already been a number of things in the day-to-day that have popped up that have been like, 'Oh, we'll call Trey.' And then the realization sort of sets in. But I think, you know, more importantly, Trey held a space in the larger food and agriculture community and he supported so many farmers,' said Moss.
Stephanie Yates said the reason he supported so many people was because he lacked those resources when he was first starting out.
'His goal now was to try to get grants and money and try to help people his age to get a start if they wanted to go into agriculture and farming. You know, pave a road where somebody like him could maybe get started a little bit easier than what he did,' said Yates.
That legacy will continue.
The West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition is organizing the Trey Yates Legacy Fund, designed to help young agricultural entrepreneurs get their start in Trey's memory.
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For more information or to donate to the Trey Yates Legacy Fund, please visit the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition website.
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