Farms are the heart of the Piedmont region. Creating healthy pastures means sustainable farmland and a strong local economy.

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
Read More

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
Read More
Fronting the Costs: Fencing at Mountain Hollow Farm
Carina and Dean Elgin at their fence. Photo by Hugh Kenny, PEC. Eight generations of cattle farming had taken its toll on the streams at Dean and Carina Elgin’s Mountain Hollow Farm in northern Fauquier County. Historically, “all the cattle had access to the creek. That was our watering system ...
Read More
Read More

Productive Pastures at Bean Hollow Grassfed
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. Read about our approach to this project, or listen to Mike Sands directly. Cows grazing at Over Jordan Farm. Credit: Marco Sanchez A Case Study ...
Read More
Read More

Grazing Along
A newborn lamb with his mother and sibling. Lambing season is the only time Mike Sands doesn’t graze his sheep and cattle together. Otherwise, grazing the animals together is beneficial to their health and the farm’s soil. Photo by Paula Combs A large herd of fluffy, yet still intimidating, sheep ...
Read More
Read More

Renovating Worn-Out Pastures
The Benefits of Rotational Grazing Like many Piedmont farms, Over Jordan Farm in Rappahannock has been a pasture-based operation for decades. After 20 years of overgrazing, however, it’s facing issues that are common in the region—poor soil health, a lack of grass and plant diversity and the resulting lack of ...
Read More
Read More