Building on the success of our dairy initiative, The Piedmont Environmental Council worked with Fauquier Community Food Bank and Lakota Ranch to pilot a new initiative — purchasing high-quality, locally-raised beef to donate to local food pantries experiencing shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Maps & Resources
Many Ways to Give
Supporting PEC’s work building strong communities and improving the environment in the Virginia Piedmont can take many forms. In addition to gifts of cash or securities, which are most common, you may also be interested in the following opportunities:
Welcome 2020 Fellows!
Our 2020 Fellowship program is going digital this summer. Eleven college students from around the country are participating in our 14th annual PEC Fellowship Program.
PEC Lauds New Woolen Mill Bridge Connection
Today, the Piedmont Environmental Council is celebrating this morning’s installation of a new 140-foot pedestrian bridge over Moores Creek in Albemarle, which will soon provide pedestrian and bicycle access from The Wool Factory at the end of East Market Street to the Rivanna Trail on the south side of the creek.
PEC connects local beef farmers with local food pantries during pandemic shortage
PEC, in partnership with Fauquier Community Food Bank and Lakota Ranch, which lies on the border of Culpeper and Fauquier counties, will pilot a new initiative connecting high-quality, locally-raised beef with local food pantries experiencing shortages of ground beef during the Covid-19 pandemic. At 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 1, Lakota Ranch Farm Manager Jeremy Engh will deliver the first 50 pounds of ground beef to the Fauquier Community Food bank at 249 East Shirley Avenue in Warrenton.
Solarize Stories: Alisa Johnson of Oakham Farm
Alisa Johnson, owner of Oakham Farm in Middleburg, spoke about how simple and rewarding her experience with Solarize Piedmont was.
President’s Letter – Summer 2020
With so much going on around us that we cannot control, doing what we can to make our part of the world better becomes all the more important.
This past spring, our staff made a quick and orderly transition to remote work, operating off a solid platform of online resources, laptops, smartphones, and most importantly, a network of partners and relationships that allow us to be effective observers and active participants in our communities. Continuing full operations, with the support of PEC members and our Board, has provided a remarkable and deeply appreciated source of stability in an otherwise crazy world.
Strengthening Local Food Systems
Early one May morning, a Maola Dairy delivery truck took an unusual turn through the gates and into the parking lot of the Fauquier Community Food Bank. Nearby, Director Sharon Ames’ excitement was palpable as she jumped up and down, hands clapping, smile as wide as the gates swung open that day. Since the coronavirus pandemic, Ames said the food bank has had to turn away families in search of milk more often than they’ve been able to provide it.
Pushing for Transparency
Obviously, a lot has changed since March, when you last received a copy of the Piedmont View. Soon after, shut-down orders went into place and, like me, you might have felt like you were trapped in a bad episode of The Twilight Zone. Suddenly, any trip outside of the house came with a risk analysis. Adjustments like teleworking, or worse, changes in employment status, disrupted normal routines. Things we may have taken for granted, like access to schools and daycare, visits with elderly relatives and yes, even toilet paper, were off the table. Clearly, these have not been normal times. But that wasn’t always evident looking at local government agendas.
Planning for Access
As the onset of Covid-19 social-distancing coincided with beautiful spring weather, many Piedmont residents turned to natural areas, parks, trails and even rural roads, enjoying what we all know to be certain: these places sustain us, provide respite and serve as our oasis.