Working Farms and Food

Farmland and forests produce the essentials of life, from the food on our tables to clean water and air. In PEC’s nine-county area, approximately 200,000 acres of farmland and 198,000 acres of forests are protected through private, voluntary land conservation.

Buy Fresh Buy Local

PEC’s Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign helps consumers find local products while building relationships between growers, food artisans, farmers’ markets retailers, restaurants, and institutions.

Use our Buy Fresh Buy Local Piedmont website to find farms, grocers, caterers, restaurants, CSAs, and farmers markets.

The Community Farm

PEC’s Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows serves to connect area residents to Loudoun’s vital agricultural history while providing locally-grown fruits and vegetables for its food insecure population today.

Find out more at pecva.org/farm

Improving Pastures

At Bean Hollow Grassfed, Mike Sands wanted to use his training to revive Over Jordan Farm’s worn-out pastures and develop a financially stable farm model.

Learn more about sustainable pasture management in this conservation case study >>

Finding a Place to Grow

In order to help potential next-generation farmers, and non-farming landowners who are interested in leasing their land, PEC has put together “Finding a Place to Grow: How the Next Generation is Gaining Access to Farmland”, which includes eight profiles of successful farmland lease arrangements in Virginia. 

2022 Highlights

2022 Highlights

/
The Shenandoah River between Clarke and Fauquier counties. Photo by Hugh Kenny/PEC; flight thanks to Southwings For the last 50 years, PEC has worked to establish a better future for this region through sustainable growth and protection of the region’s natural, agricultural and historic resources. This place is special today ...
Read More
a green field with black cows on a rainy looking day

Return of the Grassland Birds

/
Once upon a time, Virginia’s scenic countryside was enriched by a vibrant chorus of birdsong, including those of our iconic grassland birds like the eastern meadowlark, often seen serenading from atop fence posts, and the bobolink, affectionately referred to as the “R2D2 bird” for its bubbly and robotic-sounding song. The ...
Read More
a field with rows of cover crop between squash plants

Soil is Alive: How to Keep it Healthy

/
PEC’s service region in the Virginia Piedmont has long been a pasture-based farming area, and we’ve collaborated with livestock producers on rotational grazing and other land management practices to improve soil health. We are even demonstrating these practices at Roundabout Meadows, our Loudoun County farm property. Healthy soil can make ...
Read More
a man points at a poster before a crowd

Along the Route 50 Corridor

/
A couple of Christmases ago, I was flipping through a book about historic Middleburg homes and the surrounding areas. One story explained how the rural town was given its name. Travelers from Washington D.C. heading toward Winchester, the final outpost before the “Wild West,” dubbed a midway point between the ...
Read More
Video: Cover Crops with John Marshall Soil and Water

Video: Cover Crops with John Marshall Soil and Water

/
We partnered with John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District to produce this video about their cover crop cost-share program. Sign up for John Marshall Soil & Water Conservation District’s cover crop cost-share program by October 1!Funding is available - give them a call at (540) 422-8490 to learn more ...
Read More