A recent study by The Piedmont Environmental Council and American Farmland Trust, spurred by pandemic-related breakdowns in national and local food supply systems, has led to the development of a new meat-cutter training program to be offered by the Rappahannock Center for Education beginning late fall 2021. Using a national training model, the program is intended to help local meat processors expand their operations and increase their capacity to serve the region’s cattle farmers by building a larger pool of available skilled laborers in the field.
Greene County
PEC serves as an asset to citizens in Greene who seek to protect this traditionally agricultural community from increasingly rapid development.
Week Ahead for July 26, 2021: An update on area recycling efforts; Transit expansion in Albemarle
This is the 30th week of the year, and another one in the middle of summer. Judging by the number of out-of-office emails I’ve gotten this month, it seems that many are taking time off from work. This is a highly recommended move!
Week Ahead for Monday, July 19, 2021: Council to approve ARPA funding, Fontaine streetscape design
The last few weeks have had the illusory quality of looking like they may be quiet. Of course, that’s never how things turn out in a community such as ours that is in transition from what it was to what it will be. But what about this week? Seems busy.
Undocumented Cemeteries & Burial Grounds
A severe lack of documentation contributes greatly to the loss of cemeteries and the stories they represent. We need your help!
Week Ahead for June 21, 2021: Regional Housing Plan to be unveiled; Albemarle PC to review Crozet Master Plan
Summertime, and the meetings are busy. This community seems to only take one week off each year from meetings, and this is not that week.
On the Ground Updates – June 2021
A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.
Week Ahead for June 14, 2021: Chipotle to replace College Inn on the Corner; Albemarle takes up affordable housing update
The third week of June looms, and it’s another week of decisions to be made in local and regional governments in and around Charlottesville. As the second half of the year approaches, the pandemic continues to recede even as community health officials continue to monitor new cases. A new sense of normality has taken hold, while community conversations about growth and its impacts are becoming more common.
Week Ahead for June 7, 2021: Charlottesville PC to discuss homestay regulations; Albemarle to hold community meeting for solar panels at landfill
Two more weeks until the summer solstice, but there’s never really a slowdown in local and regional government in the Charlottesville area. There are 23 meetings listed in this week’s installment.
Solarize Piedmont 2021 campaign available in ten different localities
The Solarize Piedmont program is back through June 30 and available to homeowners and business owners in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock counties, and the City of Charlottesville. Solarize Piedmont makes adding solar power, battery storage, and electric vehicle charging stations to homes and businesses easier and more affordable than ever, by leveraging the collective buying power of many to provide a one-stop shop for solar education, vetted installers, and discounted pricing.
Week Ahead for May 17, 2021: Greene Planning Commission to talk economic development
For many, virtual meetings have lowered the barrier to entry. if you’ve ever wanted to sample what local government is about, this is the time to do so. It remains to be seen how accessible meetings will be from people’s homes in the future. But, the laying of broadband across much of the area could mean that the discussions of local democracy might take place in different ways in our near future than they did in our pre-pandemic past.