Working Farms and Food
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Working Farms and Food

Farmland and forests produce the necessities of life and provide essential natural services. In PEC's nine county area, over 180,000 acres of farmland and 140,000 acres of forests are protected through private, voluntary land conservation. 

2013 Buy Fresh Buy Local Guides!

Our 2013 Buy Fresh Buy Local Guides are complete! Take a look at the Loudoun guide, the Charlottesville Area guide, or the Northern Piedmont guide. Or search for listings near you on our buylocalvirginia.org website.

Buy Fresh Buy Local Working Session

Our first-ever work session for Buy Fresh Buy Local Loudoun, Northern Piedmont, and Charlottesville Chapters was held on January 10, 2013. Nine working groups were formed to take coordinated action on a range of different topics.

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Awards for Community & School Gardens

PEC received 22 wonderful and inspiring applications from communities throughout our nine-county region for our first ever School and Community Garden Awards. It was a difficult decision, but the results are in!

Learn More...

 

Order Seeds For Your Garden

Planning your garden for 2013? The Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, located in Louisa, is once again donating 30% of the sales of certain seed packages to support PEC's Buy Fresh Buy Local program.

Start your garden off with two seed samplers that are rich in Virginia flavor and history -- either the Virginia Heritage Seed Collection or the Rainbow Starters Mix.

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From The Piedmont View -- Farms & Food

The following article appeared in PEC's Membership Newsletter -- The Piedmont View

Going Native

In late November 2012, a sold-out crowd packed the Middleburg Community Center for a Invasive Plant Symposium sponsored by PEC, the Sacharuna Foundation, Virginia Working Landscapes, and United Plant Savers. The event featured a panel of scientific experts, foresters and farmers to talk about methods for controlling invasive plants and utilizing native plants. Dr. Doug Tallamy, the nationally acclaimed speaker and author of the best seller Bringing Nature Home,was the keynote speaker. Read More

PEC's Buy Fresh Buy Local Work Session -- More Than Just Talk

It’s no secret that the local food movement has picked up momentum in Virginia’s Piedmont. Yet, there are still a number of challenges that local food producers and distributors face as they try to create a sustainable local food economy. Read More

Protecting the Piedmont: Conservation Easements Preserve Over 357,000 Acres

In 2012, landowners in PEC’s nine-county region voluntarily conserved over 9,500 acres of land by donating conservation easements. This brings the region’s total to more than 357,000 acres of privately protected land, or 16.8% of the land in the region. That’s without accounting for the parks and other public lands, which add another 185,000 acres to the region’s tally of conserved land. At its core, land conservation is about preserving our scenic landscapes, our economically productive working lands, and the crucial natural and cultural resources that make this region a wonderful, healthy place to live. Landowners who conserve their land are protecting numerous streams, rivers, wetlands, forests, prime agricultural lands, historic districts and battlefields. These resources not only make the Piedmont a great place to call home, but they are fundamental to the local and state economies. Read More
More Piedmont View Articles...

Farm and Restaurant Profiles

Fabbioli Cellars

For Doug Fabbioli of Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg, growing his winery and his vines in a way that is environmentally and economically sustainable is a center point of his business philosophy. “Honestly,” he says, “environmental and economic sustainability really go hand in hand.” Read More

Quarter Branch Farm

There’s no question about it -- Kevin Grove of Quarter Branch Farm loves his job. Walking around the Lovettsville farm with Kevin, you can’t help but feel the tangible excitement and passion that he has for his work -- growing the best quality greens and vegetables he can for his local customers. Read More

Fauquier Hospital

It’s safe to say that when most people consider their local restaurant options, the nearby hospital’s cafeteria doesn’t normally make the list. But that’s not the case at Fauquier Hospital in Warrenton. The hospital’s cafeteria, called the Bistro on the Hill, not only serves patients and hospital employees -- but it is also frequented by locals who are simply looking for a good place to eat. Read More

Pannill’s Gate Farm

“Come ‘ere babies, who’s gonna come visit?” Patty Johnson calls out as we climb the fence into the field at Pannill’s Gate farm near Culpeper, Virginia. The cows regard her carefully, presumably weighing their chances of getting food or a scratch on the head. Every day, Patty is out in the fields, checking on her entirely grass-fed herd of Red Angus and Murray Grey cattle. For her, the practice of rotational grazing, or moving the cows to a new strip of pasture daily, “re-establishes that relationship- why I am here and why I do this.” Read More

Planet Earth Diversified

You might think it unlikely that a farmer as grounded as Michael Clark of Planet Earth Diversified would get his inspiration from the spaceship Apollo 13. But if you take a tour of his farm, you'll see just how technology and careful engineering play into every aspect of its production. Read More
More Farm and Restaurant Profiles

More Working Farms and Food

  • May 21, 2013

    Field to Plate - 2013 Meet the Farmer Dinners

    Over the past five years, Virginia’s Piedmont has experienced an unprecedented demand for local foods. In order to foster and support that growing interest, The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) is hosting a series of Field to Plate - Meet the Farmer dinners. These dinners are designed to celebrate and support local farms and foods; provide education and outreach on the importance of local food in our region; and increase awareness about where and how local foods are produced. Read More
  • Mar 20, 2013

    Awards for Community & School Gardens

    Does your school have a garden? Do you know of a fun community garden? Help The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) recognize community and school gardens throughout the northern Piedmont by letting us know about great community or school gardens in your area. The purpose of this friendly competition is to recognize gardens that celebrate the relationship between nature, food and community, by awarding six currently active school and/or community gardens with cash awards. PEC will make up to three $300 awards and up to three $500 awards. Read More
  • Jan 24, 2013

    Buy Fresh Buy Local Work Session

    Our first-ever work session for Buy Fresh Buy Local Loudoun, Northern Piedmont, and Charlottesville Chapters was held on January 10, 2013. Nine working groups were formed to take coordinated action on a range of different topics. Read More
  • Dec 14, 2012

    Community & School Garden Awards Results

    The Piedmont Environmental Council began accepting nominations for its first School & Community Garden Awards last spring. The purpose of this friendly competition was to recognize gardens that celebrate the relationship between nature, food and community by awarding six school or community gardens with cash awards -- three $300 awards and three $500 awards. For a garden to be eligible for an award, it had to be located in PEC’s working area; it needed to be active during the 2012 growing season; and it had to be a community effort. The ideal PEC was looking for was gardens that grew edible plants, provided pollinator plants and other wildlife habitat, and featured native plants. The contest closed in November, and PEC had 22 amazing entries representing gardens from communities across the organization’s nine-county region. PEC’s staff found reviewing the all of the applications delightful, but selecting the winners was very difficult due to the quality and variety of the nominations. Read More
  • Feb 23, 2012

    Online Form -- Exploring the Small Farm Dream

    Fill out this form if you are a farmer interested in leasing and to begin your Small Farm Dream. We will contact you if we find potential landowners who may be able to host your agricultural operation. Read More
  • Feb 23, 2012

    Online Form -- Hosting the Small Farm Dream

    Fill out this form if you are a landowner interested in hosting an agricultural operation on your property. We will contact you if we find potential farmers whose Small Farm Dreams match yours! Read More
  • Dec 14, 2011

    Order Seeds for Your Garden

    Planning your garden for 2013? The Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, located in Louisa, is once again donating 30% of the sales of certain seed packages to support PEC's Buy Fresh Buy Local program. Read More

The Small Farm Dream Courses

Agriculture is by far Virginia's largest industry, contributing $55 billion annually to the state's economy and providing more than 357,000 jobs. Yet Virginia ranks 11th among the states for the amount of prime agricultural land lost annually, with more than 20,000 acres going out of production each year. And no wonder: the average farmer is nearly 60 years old and has a net farm income of less than $9,000.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of beginning farmers, inspired by consumer demand for fresh, healthy, local foods in Virginia. These new farmers face significant challenges, however, when trying to establish a successful agricultural business.

Read More

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PEC's Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign helps consumers find local products while building relationships between growers, food artisans, farmers’ markets retailers, restaurants, and institutions.

Use our Buy Fresh Buy Local website to find farms, grocers, caterers, restaurants, CSAs, and farmers markets.

Buy Fresh Buy Local website