Orange County

PEC’s Orange County office supports our land use and land conservation activities in the County. PEC is dedicated to promoting healthy communities and the preservation of Orange’s rural character, environment and historic resources. 

New ‘Buy Fresh Buy Local’ Food Guides Now Available!

New ‘Buy Fresh Buy Local’ Food Guides Now Available!

This text was taken from an email alert sent out on May 7, 2025. Sign up for email alerts →

Dear Supporter,

We’re excited to announce that PEC’s 2025-26 Buy Fresh Buy Local Guides have been printed and are on their way to you! 

The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) is proud to produce and mail Buy Fresh Buy Local guides to over 330,000 households throughout our nine-county region and make it available online (see links below). These popular local food guides are a great way to support working farms and learn more about local food options! 

For more than 50 years, The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) has worked to conserve and restore the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont. We believe that doing so requires a strong, sustainable agricultural economy that helps keep rural lands economically viable. 

That’s why we take a direct role in promoting working farms and the fresh foods and beverages they produce through our biennial Buy Fresh Buy Local guides. From veggies and fruit, to meat and dairy, to beer, wine and more, you’ll find all of your favorite local foods and beverages in our newly released 2025-2026 guides for the Northern PiedmontLoudoun County and Charlottesville Area

Learn more about each of our three guides below:


Northern Piedmont

Cover of Buy Fresh Buy Local Northern Piedmont print guide

Our Northern Piedmont guide features nearly 250 local food producers and distributors in Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties. Among its listings are 124 local farms and orchards, 11 farmers markets, 37 specialty beverage producers, 24 restaurants and caterers that source locally, and 24 retailers, many of which are displayed on a travel map of the Northern Piedmont area. In addition, there are 19 value-added products that are part of a newly introduced section showcasing entrepreneurs adding value to locally grown products in the form of baked goods, sauces and more.

Northern Piedmont Highlights

This year’s Northern Piedmont guide also highlights two committed local farms and one community group: Kinloch Farm, a livestock farm in Fauquier County, focuses on the intersection of conservation and agriculture, using regenerative farming to incorporate grazing management practices through an adaptive lens that respects ecological cycles, improving the landscape and providing a flourishing habitat and food for wildlife, pollinators and the herd. The Chapman Farm, a cattle farm located in Bealeton, was one of the first farms in their neighborhood to implement water troughs and fencing in their fields that help keep waterways clean, and have been a center for conservation education in the region. And the Carver Food Enterprise Center is doing good work to assist small value-added food businesses and decrease food waste and insecurity across the Piedmont.

Northern Piedmont Sponsors

A special thank you goes to this year’s Northern Piedmont guide sponsors, including the PATH Foundation, Finest Butcher, Wegmans, Choose Culpeper Farms, Culpeper Harvest Days Farm Tour, Farm Credit, Purely Piedmont, Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Fauquier Agricultural HomeGrown Program, and Mad Magic Kombucha, as well as local food industry sponsors including Kinloch Farm, F.T. Valley Orchard at Mont Medi, Sunnyside Farm & Conservancy, Rappahannock County Farm Tour, Buchanan Hall Community Market, Riders Backfield Farm Beef, Hidden Creek Farm, Red Truck Bakery, Field & Main, Four J’s Farm & Brewery, Ovoka Farm, Virginia Bison Company at Cibola Farms, DuCard Vineyard, Belmont Farm Distillery, 4P Foods, and VA Soil Health Coalition


Loudoun County

Cover of Buy Fresh Buy Local Loudoun County print guide

The Loudoun County guide features more than 170 local food producers and distributors in—you guessed it—Loudoun County. Among its listings are 71 local farms and orchards, nine farmers markets, 40 specialty beverage producers, 26 restaurants and caterers that source locally, 29 retailers (farm stands and grocers), and five value-added producers who have helped launch a new section for the Loudoun chapter!

Loudoun County Highlights

This year’s Loudoun area guide also highlights three local farm businesses. Long Stone Farm carefully stewards over 300 acres of rolling farmland in Lovettsville. By rotational grazing and careful nutrient management, they produce high quality proteins including non-GMO pork, beef, chicken, and eggs. Fireside Farm cultivates a diverse array of high quality vegetables grown by regenerative methods with extra care of the soil and their downstream neighbors. They also offer their veggies and grain in the form of gourmet wood-fired pizza at events around Loudoun. Wheatland Spring Farm & Brewery makes beer with ingredients grown onsite that reflects the distinct agricultural region of Virginia’s Piedmont — a concept they call “land beer.”

Loudoun County Sponsors

A special thank you goes to this year’s Loudoun guide sponsors, including the PATH Foundation, Finest Butcher , Wegmans, Loudoun VA Cooperative Extension, Farm Credit, Visit Loudoun, Loudoun Farm Bureau, Loudoun Valley Homegrown Market Cooperative, Mom’s Apple Pie, Long Stone Farm, NOVEC, Great Country Farms, Willowsford Farm, Ayrshire Farm and VA Soil Health Coalition.


Charlottesville Area

Cover of Buy Fresh Buy Local Charlottesville Area print guide

The Charlottesville Area guide features 239 local food producers and distributors in Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties. Among its listings are 103 local farms and orchards, 15 farmers markets, 36 specialty beverage producers, 37 restaurants and caterers that source locally, 24 grocers, and 24 value-added products.

Charlottesville Area Highlights

This year’s Charlottesville Area guide also highlights two local growers and one local farm-to-table restaurant. Forrest Green Farm in Louisa County offers an array of farm-raised and locally-grown products. The farm employs a variety of conservation approaches, including regenerative farming, adaptive grazing practices and other holistic land management practices that contribute to healthy land, animals, and soil. Deep Roots Milling in Nelson County operates out of the historic Woodson mill (est. 1794), which uses a time-tested, environmentally sustainable process, using the power of water, to grind their locally-sourced grain, giving their products a unique and desirable texture and nutritional content that bakers love. FARMacy Cafe and Food Truck offers local Charlottesville residents its flavorful and healthful Mexican fusion cuisine that emphasizes nutrient-rich, organic, local ingredients sourced through collaborations with local organic farmers.

Charlottesville Area Sponsors

A special thank you goes to this year’s Charlottesville Area guide sponsors, including PATH Foundation, Finest Butcher, Wegmans, New Country Organics, Farm Credit, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Brickyard Bulls, Peter Wiley Real Estate, Albemarle Economic DevelopmentMarket Central’s Market at Ix, Integral Yoga Natural Foods, Carter Mountain Orchard, Feast, Chiswell Farm & Winery, Hummingbird Hill Native Plant Nursery, and VA Soil Health Coalition.


A big ‘thank you’ goes out to all of the farms and businesses who participated to make this guide a comprehensive resource for the community! 

If you know a farm or business that didn’t make it into the guide, but would like to be listed, they can register on Virginia Market Maker and select the affiliation Buy Fresh Buy Local for the chapter they reside in to sign up!

One last note for our Clarke County members: Clarke County falls within the Shenandoah Valley Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter, and that guide isbrought to you by the Virginia Cooperative Extension; find out more about the Shenandoah Valley chapter and other Buy Fresh Buy Local chapters at buylocalvirginia.org.

Sincerely,

Lea Justice
Buy Fresh Buy Local Assistant
540-347-2334 ext. 7027
[email protected]

A woman with long light brown hair wearing a black jacket and dark green top in front of a green leafy background.

On the Ground Updates – March 2025

On the Ground Updates – March 2025

A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock

2024 Highlights: By the Numbers

2024 Highlights: By the Numbers

PEC’s dedicated staff work relentlessly to advance land conservation, sound land use planning, the protection of natural resources and better climate and energy policy.

On The Ground Updates – December 2024

On The Ground Updates – December 2024

A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.

Video: Virginia’s Parks and Battlefields are at Risk

Video: Virginia’s Parks and Battlefields are at Risk

Virginia’s state and national parks, battlefields, and other historic and recreational sites are under threat from uncontrolled data center development. One notable example is Wilderness Battlefield, in Orange County, which was named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2024 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

On The Ground Updates – September 2024

On The Ground Updates – September 2024

A series of short updates from around the PEC region – Albemarle & Charlottesville, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange & Rappahannock.

Town of Orange Comprehensive Plan Community Meeting

Town of Orange Comprehensive Plan Community Meeting

This text was taken from an email alert sent out on Sept. 16, 2024. Sign up for email alerts →

main street usa streetscape with blue sky and road signs crosssing that say E Main Street and Short Street
Share how you’d like the Town of Orange to look in the future at a community meeting, Sept. 23. Photo by Sophia Chapin/PEC.

Dear Supporter,

The Town of Orange is seeking input from residents on its Comprehensive Plan, next Monday, Sept. 23, at a community meeting hosted by the Town of Orange Planning Commission. The chance to update the Comprehensive Plan only comes around every five years, so if you care about making Orange an even better place to live, you should definitely attend!

The Comprehensive Plan is a critically important document that represents the community’s vision for the future of Orange. It sets the framework for how land is used, identifies needed improvements to public facilities and programs, and it guides policy priorities and decisions around growth and development for the next 5–20 years.

Town of Orange Community Meeting

Monday, Sept. 23 @ 6–8 p.m.
Town of Orange Community Room
235 Warren Street, Orange

We hope that as new land use proposals come before the town, the updated Comprehensive Plan will help steer future economic growth and residential development, including affordable housing, into the town’s existing developed areas. PEC believes a mix of redevelopment and infill, developing vacant or underutilized parcels within existing developed areas, helps to improve infrastructure and quality of life for residents while preserving a town’s architectural assets.

Photo by Sophia Chapin/PEC.

The Town Wants to Hear From You

As a resident, you now have the chance to weigh in on the updated Comprehensive Plan, which will shape how Orange moves forward over the next 20 years. A lot is at stake, including how we will protect natural resources, ensure a healthy and vibrant quality of life and thriving economy for everyone, address the impacts of a changing environment, and preserve the town’s rural, historic character. Review the draft updates → 

The community meeting is designed to help the Town Planner and the Planning Commission better understand community needs and priorities, especially on: 

  • Economy
  • Public Facilities/Infrastructure
  • Education
  • Transportation
  • Architectural Assets and Aesthetics
  • Environment 
  • Town-County Partnerships
  • Public Safety/Fire and Rescue/Community Health/Government
  • Arts
  • Population/Demographics/Housing
  • Recreation

Planning Commissioners will welcome everyone to the meeting and give a brief overview of the process before inviting attendees to move around the room and visit different tables focused on these topics. You can visit each table, hear what the Planning Commission is proposing and respond in real time to the representative at that table. They hope to collect the feedback and continue working on a draft into the winter, but this may be one of the only chances to have this level of direct engagement in the process. There will be no online or virtual component to this event.


Please share this email with friends, family and neighbors so more voices can be heard early on. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out, and I hope to see you on Sept. 23.

Sincerely,

Don McCown 
Land Use Field Representative 
Orange & Madison Counties
[email protected] 
(434) 977-2033 x7047

Act Now to Support Common Sense Planning for Solar in Orange County

Act Now to Support Common Sense Planning for Solar in Orange County

On Sept. 10, the Orange County Board of Supervisors will consider a zoning ordinance to ban any solar facility that produces power primarily for off-site users. This extreme approach is contrary to good planning practice, doesn’t allow for a balancing of community needs, and bolsters efforts at the General Assembly to initiate the drastic step of taking away local authority on solar siting.