Contact:
Dana Melby, Farm Manager
The Piedmont Environmental Council
dmelby@pecva.org; 540-347-2334, x7068
ALDIE, VA. (June 8, 2022) – On June 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Piedmont Environmental Council invites community members to a free, fun-filled Open House & Family Day at PEC’s Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows, located at 39990 Howswers Branch Drive in Aldie. This free event will feature children’s activities including face painting, a scavenger hunt, and a pollinator habitat creation station. Divine Swine and Happy Family Ranch food trucks will be present and offering vegetarian options in addition to their regular fare. Group farm tours at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., are a great chance for guests to learn more about the farm’s role providing healthy, locally-grown produce to food-insecure families in
Loudoun County, through its donations to Loudoun Hunger Relief.
For planning purposes, guests are asked to register at pecva.org/familyday. The first 100 people to arrive with a nonperishable food or household item, such as canned fruits, veggies, and meats; boxed cereal, pasta, and rice; cooking oil; paper products; and hygiene items, for donation to Loudoun Hunger Relief will receive a free pint of Moo Thru ice cream. Guests should wear clothing and shoes appropriate for a farm environment. Bug spray and sunscreen are strongly encouraged. Community Farm ambassadors Maple and Clover—American Guinea hogs—along with a very shy flock of laying hens, kindly ask that pets stay at home.
Loudoun County is one of the wealthiest and most rapidly developing jurisdictions in our country. And yet, more than 14,000 Loudoun community members—half of them children—are food insecure. The Piedmont Environmental Council launched its Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows in early 2019 to grow and harvest fresh produce for donation to Loudoun Hunger Relief. In its first season, the farm produced almost 5,000 pounds of fresh fruits and veggies, including potatoes, tomatoes, squash, and melons. Since then, production has grown by more than 600 percent. Throughout its 2021 season, more than 750 volunteers donated over 1,600 hours of their time, harvesting 35,000 pounds of fresh produce for donation to Loudoun Hunger Relief. In honor of PEC’s 50th anniversary, the Community Farm has set a 2022 goal to grow and donate 50,000 pounds of regeneratively grown produce.
Since 1972, The Piedmont Environmental Council has proudly promoted and protected the natural resources, rural economy, history and beauty of the Virginia Piedmont. PEC empowers residents to protect what makes the Piedmont a wonderful place, and works with citizens to conserve land, improve air and water quality and build thriving communities. PEC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and accredited land trust. Learn more at www.pecva.org.
Photo options:
American guinea hog at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows, Spring 2021. Credit Hugh Kenny/PEC
Chicken at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows, Spring 2021. Credit Hugh Kenny/PEC
Aerial shot of Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows, Spring 2021. Credit Hugh Kenny/PEC
Happy older boy on tractor at Community Farm Family Day, Fall 2019. Credit Hugh Kenny/PEC
Little boy decorating a pumpkin at Community Farm Family Day, Fall 2019. Credit Cat Kutz
Another little boy decorating a pumpkin at Community Farm Family Day, Fall 2019. Credit Hugh Kenny/PEC