Working Farms & Local 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.

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Water Penny farm

Defining our Food Labels

When talking about our food, we constantly hear terms like ‘organic’, ‘local’, ‘free-range’, and ‘grass-fed.’ These labels are meant to guide consumers’ food purchasing decisions by offering information on the farming methods used to grow …
| | Working Farms & Food
Discovering Local Food

Discovering Local Food

In my role as the Buy Fresh Buy Local Coordinator for The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), local food is an everyday topic of conversation. From broader discussions on how to encourage larger institutions to purchase …
| | Working Farms & Food
Work session

Buy Fresh Buy Local Work Session

Piedmont Environmental Council has been a Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL) chapter coordinator since 2007. Over that time, our three BFBL chapters have grown to include over 600 farms, farmers’ markets, retailers, restaurants, wineries, and …
| | Working Farms & Food
Michael Clark

Planet Earth Diversified

You might think it unlikely that a farmer as grounded as Michael Clark of Planet Earth Diversified would get his inspiration from the spaceship Apollo 13. But if you take a tour of his farm, …
A woman pats a cow.

Pannill’s Gate Farm

“Come ‘ere babies, who’s gonna come visit?” Patty Johnson calls out as we climb the fence into the field at Pannill’s Gate farm near Culpeper, Virginia. The cows regard her carefully, presumably weighing their chances …
Doug Fabbioli pours wine

Fabbioli Cellars

For Doug Fabbioli of Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg, growing his winery and his vines in a way that is environmentally and economically sustainable is a center point of his business philosophy. “Honestly,” he says, “environmental …
Chef makes spring salad

L’etoile

Mark Gresge is a self proclaimed food nerd. He loves food. He loves researching food history, learning about why people eat what they eat, what foods pertain to particular regions — he can't get enough …
Croftburn farm image

Croftburn Farm

At Croftburn Farm, flocks of sheep and herds of cattle graze in wide green pastures on either side of Route 3, just outside of the Town of Culpeper—so the farm offers local residents both pastoral …
A man and woman stand on their farm.

Whisper Hill Farm

On several acres of bottom land bordering the Robinson River in Culpeper County, James and Holly Hammond grow hundreds of varieties of about 30 kinds of vegetables and herbs—an abundance of flavors for their customers …
A man and woman crouch in a farm bed.

“Exploring the Small Farm Dream”

This course is for people who are considering launching a small farm enterprise, but are not sure where to start. Designed to guide students through an initial exploratory decision-making process, “Exploring the Small Farm Dream” courses …
| | Working Farms & Food

The Piedmont Environmental Council is a partner of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. We support the 4 core principles of soil health management: Keep Soil Covered; Minimize Soil Disturbance; Maximize Living Roots; and, Energize with Diversity. Join the movement today at 4thesoil.org.