Though the local food movement has picked up momentum in our region, there are still a number of challenges that local food producers and distributors face as they try to create a sustainable local food economy. Last January, The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) hosted a work session for their Buy Fresh Buy Local chapters in Charlottesville, Loudoun, and the Northern Piedmont. The goal was to provide a space in which local food providers could bring up a topic of interest, meet others who are interested in a similar issue, and then take part in constructive conversations and strategic planning centered around a plan of action.