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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event photo solar on the farm workshop

Resources from our Solar on the Farm Workshop

On Friday, January 27, 2023, more than seventy participants gathered together to learn more about small agricultural solar. This workshop hosted by The Piedmont Environmental Council covered the latest information on incentives offered by USDA …
Eyes on Richmond / Call to Support Farmland Protection

Eyes on Richmond / Call to Support Farmland Protection

The Piedmont Environmental Council is tracking a broad array of bills and budget amendments, as well as supporting legislative priorities of partners within the Virginia Conservation Network …
a green field with black cows on a rainy looking day

Return of the Grassland Birds

The new Virginia (formerly Piedmont) Grassland Bird Initiative (VGBI) is showing promising signs of returning those birds to the Virginia landscape. With grant funding, the program pays farmers to adopt bird-friendly best management practices …
a field with rows of cover crop between squash plants

Soil is Alive: How to Keep it Healthy

Healthy soil can make as big a difference for home gardeners as it can for large-scale farmers. We sat down with Melissa Allen, District Manager at the John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District to …
a man points at a poster before a crowd

Along the Route 50 Corridor

The beauty of the Route 50 corridor is not an accident. It has taken multi-generational involvement in local decision-making to plan for and preserve this historic east-west passage. PEC has played a part in that …
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 …
PEC to hold Family Day at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows, June 18

PEC to hold Family Day at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows, June 18

On June 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Piedmont Environmental Council invites community members to a free, fun-filled Family Day at PEC’s Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows, located at 39990 Howswers Branch Drive …
side by side images of solar panels and a farm surrounded by forest

HB 206 – Getting Solar Siting Right

HB 206 was a bipartisan bill to improve the utility-scale solar permitting process in Virginia …
Aerial view of PEC's Community Farm

2021 at the Community Farm

2021 was our best year yet at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows! Thanks to the help of more than 750 volunteers over the course of the year, we were able to donate approximately 35,000 …

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.