Shenandoah Valley Buy Fresh, Buy Local

03/03/2026

For your fresh, wholesale produce needs and time in West Rockingham County, here is the Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction's 2026 schedule. Mark your calendars!

03/14/2025

09/13/2024

We hope you can join us as we aim to connect food, farm, and health across the Shenandoah Valley region and Virginia.

Please save the dates of December 5 and 6 for the 2024 Virginia Farm-to-Table Conference. The conference will again be held at Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, Virginia.

To date, we are pleased to have the following people confirmed as speakers and presenters:

Clarenda “Farmer Cee” Stanley of Green Heffa Farms
Nicole Masters of Integrity Soils, Inc.
Maureen McNamara Best of LEAP (Local Environmental Agriculture Project)
Professor Emeritus Dr. David Kohl of AgriVisions LLC. and Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
Mr. Elisha Barnes of Pop Son Farms

We are working to build out concurrent sessions and the rest of the agenda. We are also welcoming exhibitors, sponsors, and financial partners to support the conference and an off-site networking time at Valley Pike Farm Market’s The Granary.

More details will be forthcoming but please save the dates and plan to attend the 2024 Virginia Farm-to-Table Conference.

4 the Soil Virginia Cooperative Extension Virginia SARE Shenandoah Valley Buy Fresh, Buy Local Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences Valley Pike Farm Market Integrity Soils Ltd Green Heffa Farms Farm Credit Knowledge Center Farm Credit of the Virginias Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results Social Impact Studios Virginia Farming Media Virginia Forage and Grassland Council

04/04/2024

Why eat Mid-Atlantic grains? Why care about the local grain economy?
Here at Common Grain Alliance, these questions motivate us to work with local farmers, millers, maltsters, bakers, and other grain artisans to build a vibrant, sustainable, integrated, and regenerative grain economy. Check out CGA's zine, created in collaboration with local illustrator Hannah Good, on why you should buy Mid-Atlantic grains.

Why buy Mid Atlantic grains? Why care about the local grain economy? Here at Common Grain Alliance, these questions motivate us to work with local farmers, millers, maltsters, bakers and other grain artisans to build a vibrant, sustainable, integrated and regenerative grain economy.

10/25/2023

Registration is open for the Virginia Farm-to-Table Conference 2023! Hosted by Virginia Cooperative Extension and 4 the Soil.

Theme: "Nourishing and (Re)Imagining Collaboration, Conservation, and Community"
When: Tuesday, December 12 - Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Where: Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave, Virginia

Cost:
Early Bird Rate (available through November 30, 2023): $45/day
Regular Rate (available starting on December 1, 2023): $65/day

Learn more and register by December 8, 2023 at https://tinyurl.com/2023VAF2TConfReg

Conference hosts: Eric S. Bendfeldt of Virginia Cooperative Extension and the VT Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation and Mary Sketch Bryant of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

10/02/2022

Learn more about area farm businesses and ways farms contribute to community and the rural economy.

We have been working towards creating a weekly Farmer/Business Spotlight. This helps to promote our rural economy in the Northern Shenandoah Valley (Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren), highlight agribusiness, and show how each is associated with Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Every Friday for a year VCE would like to do a and/or posted right here on this page.

Our eighth highlight is Marker-Miller Orchards Farm Market. They are located 5 miles west of Wi******er, VA and have a wide variety of pick your own, walking trails, an onsite bakery, and plenty of activities for a family to enjoy. They want all their customers to have an on-farm experience and know exactly where their food comes from. Visit Marker-Miller!

Marker-Miller has kindly been involved with VCE by hosting site visits, being a guest speaker, attending multiple programs, and is a member of the Extension Leadership Council for Frederick County.

Check out Marker-Miller in the flyer below or on their website: https://www.markermillerorchards.com/

Or at their page: https://www.facebook.com/markermillerorchards

If you would like to be the next Farmer/Business Spotlight please fill out the link below:

VCE Farmer/Business Spotlight Link: https://vce.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bJYhlCIezTqRPPE

We would love to spotlight you!

08/20/2022

Great story of commitment and hard work!

Brendan and Elaine Martin are building their dream farm — one piece at a time.

08/03/2022

👩‍🌾🥦🥬🧅🧄🫑🍆🌶🥔🥕🌽🍅🍠

07/09/2022

Against the Grain, Beyond the Grind is a story about one of Virginia's grain-to-flour food value chains. The story outlines farm-to-table connections from local soils and farms to a local stone-ground mill and local bakery and how food eventually makes its way to local tables. https://youtu.be/McDvnNFDbmk

A special thanks to Cedar Heights Farm, Common Grain Alliance, Deep Roots Milling at Woodson's Mill, Grazeland Dairy, and Mill Song Bakery for participating in this video case study.

Great appreciation to French Price and Ernie Didot for developing the storyboard and their overall creative collaboration, and Dave Nealon for the accompanying instrumental music.

This video is accessible through Virginia Cooperative Extension's website at https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/SPES/spes-407/spes-407.html Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Virginia Cooperative Extension Virginia Cooperative Extension Virginia SARE

Today, Virginia farmers face many challenges and opportunities. Sometimes you have to go against the grain and beyond the grind to overcome challanges and re...