The Piedmont Environmental Council

Specific Need

This year, The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) is raising funds in support of our work at our Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows.

Your donation will help us:

• Maintain production of 35,000+ pounds of produce for donation to Loudoun Hunger Relief

• Provide meaningful agricultural experiences and educational programs for students and community members.

• Recruit more than 500 volunteers to plant, harvest and package our produce

During the past ten years, PEC has been managing our lands at Roundabout Meadows near Gilberts Corner to restore its soils and streams, connect residents to agriculture and promote the Piedmont rural economy. Our efforts continued to blossom in 2023 at the Community Farm at Roundabout Meadows. 

In its fifth season, the Community Farm provided a consistent supply of fruits, vegetables and eggs to Loudoun Hunger Relief (LHR), the largest food bank and pantry in Loudoun County. The produce grown on the farm goes directly into the community through LHR’s pantry and is shared with approximately 15 other partner organizations. Our fruit and vegetable crops were as diverse as the community we served, and selected based in large part on surveys of LHR clients. Since its start in 2019, the farm has donated more than 100,000 pounds of food to LHR and its partners. 

Photos by Hugh Kenny, Mitchell Pittman, and Pete Walton.

Mission

Protect and restore the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable communities.

The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) envisions a Virginia Piedmont where people act on a belief that conservation is essential to creating and maintaining vibrant, healthy communities. Our region is characterized by connected natural and cultural landscapes, thriving villages, towns and cities, clean rivers and streams, and working farms and forests. It’s a beautiful place where residents across all walks of life participate in decisions about its future. Headquartered in Warrenton, VA, the organization has staff who work throughout a nine-county Piedmont region that includes Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties.

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About Us

Virginia’s northern Piedmont is an exceptional place. Part of the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Piedmont is beloved for its scenic beauty, unparalleled in its significance to U.S. history, and valuable for its productive family farms, thriving communities and vibrant economy. Its forests, fields and wetlands provide clean water for the people of this region as well as those downstream, and they offer bountiful habitat for numerous species of wildlife and native plants. This natural setting, together with its distinctive towns and cities, make the Piedmont a wonderful place to live, work and visit.

Located just outside the greater Washington, D.C. metro area, this region’s natural environment has faced enormous development pressures over the decades. Yet, the people of the Piedmont care deeply about it, and, in 1972, their energy, commitment and collaboration gave shape to The Piedmont Environmental Council. Our nine-county region spans from Clarke and Loudoun counties in the north to Charlottesville and Albemarle in the south. Today, residents of this region have protected over 430,000 acres with conservation easements.

The Piedmont Environmental Council is a locally based, donor-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit and an accredited land trust. We strive to make the Virginia Piedmont a model and leader on conservation, restoration, smart growth and climate action. At the core of our approach is a focus on educating, engaging and empowering people to effect positive change in their communities. 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PEC AND GET INVOLVED?

Join The Piedmont Environmental Council at one (or multiple!) of our upcoming events this spring and summer. From planting trees along stream banks to grassland bird walks and our annual meeting in June, there is something for everyone. Please visit our events page to learn more! As a member-driven organization, we encourage you to join us as a member and stay up to date on current local news, events, and much more. Our work is made possible thanks to the generosity of our diverse members.