The post Lynchburg Area Ag & Forestry Assessment Survey – Comments Open Until May 15th appeared first on Land and Table.

The post Liberty University Is Building A 15 Acre Community Garden appeared first on Land and Table.

“The goal of Bedford Grown is to help fuel the local economy and foster a sense of pride in the products from the area. The county is sending letters to farmers and operations informing them of the effort. There is no fee to participate, said Blido, and she and Baker will distribute stickers with the logos to residents. “It’s a popular thing to buy local right now, and we are capitalizing on that through this program because people want to know that their product was raised locally or at least regionally so that they are keeping their dollar in the community,” she said. Any agricultural producer can take advantage of the program, Baker said, as long as the product is from Bedford County. The effort is not just intended for large operations. Blido said, “We’ve got farm stands all the way down our country roads” that could benefit. The hope is to yield dollars from local spenders as well. A study from the Virginia Cooperative Extension shows if each household in Bedford County were to invest $10 into local food or farm-based products, the end result would be $15 million. Bill Mayo and his wife started Shiloh Church Muscadines nearly three years ago and already are using the Bedford Grown logo. The farm produces salads and tomatoes, but the flagship product is muscadines. The nearest muscadine producers are in Virginia Beach and Winston-Salem, N.C., Mayo said, so he sees the local label as a way to help expand the reach of his nearly nine acres. He believes as companies genetically modify food, people are turning back to produce grown in their areas to eat healthier. The local food movement can make the area industry more sustainable, he said.”

The post 'Bedford Grown' Program Hopes to Cultivate Sale of Locally Grown Food appeared first on Land and Table.

“Chickens may soon come to roost in residential areas of Bedford County where they currently are barred. The planning commission Tuesday discussed allowing chickens as a by-right use in backyards throughout residentially zoned properties. Such animals are allowed in agricultural zoned areas, but raising chickens in residential areas is not permitted. Commissioners agreed on a number of points, giving planning staff direction in crafting a new regulation. The commission and Bedford County Board of Supervisors will vote on zoning text amendment after public hearings. “The issue to me is keeping the chickens off the other guy’s property,” Commissioner Steve Wilkerson said. Staff researched what other localities in Virginia, including some bordering Bedford, have done with regard to chickens in residential areas. Planner Brad Robinson presented that information to the commission. Some localities regulate chickens in residential areas through codes rather than zoning, he said. County Attorney Carl Boggess recommended the commission address chickens through zoning instead of a code change. Commissioners agreed that permits should not be required, the animals be pinned or caged on at least a quarter of an acre, roosters not be allowed in residential areas, a certain distance be required between lots and that 18 be the maximum number of chickens a resident could have…” (Continue reading at News & Advance)

The post Bedford County Considers Allowing Chickens In Residential Backyards appeared first on Land and Table.

“This week, James River Day kicked off a new school year and a new partnership with Lynchburg’s Bedford Avenue Meat Shop, which snagged a contract to provide all the food for the school on Boonsboro Road. The idea, school officials said, is to emphasize nutrition using local and organic items. Head of School Mary Riser said James River Day School started doing a program called “Farm to School Week” a couple years ago, culminating in a farmers market. Local food potentially is fresher, less processed and carries a smaller carbon footprint, Riser explained. “It tastes better — that’s kind of the bottom line,” she said. School officials asked the Bedford Avenue Meat Shop, a local butchery and specialty foods store, with a range of organic and local items, to bid on the school lunch contract this year. They have been impressed with the shop’s catering of parent events in the past, they said. BAM won the job, beating out larger food service providers. The shop is using an additional facility to prepare the meals, Mays said, and created a separate catering arm for legal purposes.”

The post James River Day School Partners With Meat Shop To Provide Local Food appeared first on Land and Table.