Dustin always wanted to carry on the tradition as the fourth-generation family member to own the farm. His great-grandfather bought the farm in 1939, and it had passed down to his grandfather.
Conserving Your Land
Find out more about permanently protecting your land with a Conservation Easement.
Piedmont Memorial Overlook: the view that inspired a lifelong commitment
A flash of blue soared over my car windshield. What kind of bird creates a vivid cerulean streak? Was that an Eastern bluebird? Or was it an indigo bunting, the eponymous bird I later heard chattering in the treetops?
Shenandoah Borderlands project protects 5,000 acres for clean water, habitat, scenic viewshed
Shenandoah National Park is one of Virginia’s most beloved and visited outdoor spaces, attracting 1.7 million visitors in 2025. It’s also a global conservation priority for biodiversity protection and climate resiliency. For these reasons, The Piedmont Environmental Council has been strategically identifying and conserving privately-owned lands running along the park’s eastern edge with a project called the Shenandoah Borderlands Conservation Initiative.
Hilton Farm: A Key Piece of the Conservation Puzzle in the Rappahannock-Rapidan Watershed
You know that feeling when you’re putting together a puzzle and there’s that “Aha!” moment, when filling in one missing piece brings everything together? Hilton Farm in Orange County is an example of this phenomenon playing out in conservation form.
Wild & Connected: Shenandoah Borderlands property conserved
Nestled on the eastern slope of Saddleback Mountain, a small cottage in the woods has been a family retreat for sisters Gayle and Cathy Soloe for decades, since their father first purchased the 89-acre parcel adjacent to Shenandoah National Park in 1958.
Conservation Funding Workshop & Social 2025 – Resources
It was fantastic to have such an engaged crowd at our recent Conservation Funding Workshop and Social at Powers Farm & Brewery in Midland!
Conserving a Crown Jewel in Culpeper County
Western View Plantation in Culpeper County gets its name from the panoramic vista of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park seen from its pastures and fields. This 700-acre working farm exemplifies the kind of agricultural operation that sustains a thriving rural economy.
Thanks to the efforts of many — including a farming family dedicated to conserving farmland for the continuation of our local food systems — PEC used $1.6 million of state and federal funding to purchase an Agricultural Land Easement that now permanently protects the excellent soils and streams that run through Western View.
Expanding a Piece of Heaven
As the warm sunlight stretches through the bare tree branches at The Piedmont Environmental Council’s Warrenton office, Hans and Anne Wachtmeister huddle in the yard for a picture. With a smiling face, Hans holds up a sign that reads, “This property is forever protected with a conservation easement.”
A Conservation Win in Loudoun County
The conservation of Beaver Dam Farm also marked an important milestone in protecting water quality, as conservation of the farm’s nearly half-mile of frontage along Beaverdam Creek provided the last link in a continuous 5-mile corridor of protected lands along the waterway. Beaverdam Creek is a major tributary of Goose Creek, a designated Virginia Scenic River and public drinking water source for Loudoun and Fairfax counties.
Conservation Funds Protect Clarke County Property
Sometimes advancing conservation in our region means supporting another partner’s vision. This was the case last year, when The Piedmont Environmental Council contributed funds from our Clark County Land Conservation Fund to the purchase of a conservation easement at the 43-acre Lilly property, facilitating a conservation win for all parties.