Consumer Frequently Asked Questions
What is Purely Piedmont?
Purely Piedmont is a brand and marketing program created by the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission’s Food Policy Council to promote the food and beverages locally grown in Virginia’s Northern Piedmont. The program currently covers products grown within Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock Counties. By purchasing products with the Purely Piedmont logo, consumers can be confident they are truly buying local.
What are the goals of the program?
The Purely Piedmont program was created to:
- Promote consumption of the region’s locally grown food and beverages
- Educate consumers on the advantages of buying local foods
- Allow consumers to easily identify our farmers’ products and have the ability to make more informed choices.
What are the program standards?
To use the Purely Piedmont logo, products must meet the following standards:
- Fruit and vegetable products must be grown within the Region (i.e. Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock Counties in Virginia).
- For meat products, the animal must have spent 75% of its life after weaning within the Region.
- For processed (i.e. value-added) products, total product by weight must be 75% ingredients grown within the Region, excluding water, flour, sugar, oil and salt.
Are quality, labor and environmental standards covered in the certification?
No, we do not employ the various inspection staff necessary to enforce such standards and instead have decided to focus our limited resources solely on the standards listed above. However, we encourage consumers to get to know the farmers that grow their food and ask them directly about production and business practices.
Why should I buy products with the Purely Piedmont logo?
Buying locally-grown foods and beverages helps our region’s farmers keep farming, supports the local economy, and maintains the region’s rural character. 70% of the region’s farmers reported a loss during the last agricultural census in 2012. If each resident purchased $5 of food from the region’s farmers each week, it would generate $793 million of new income for our farmers.
How is the logo protected?
The Purely Piedmont brand name and logo are trademarks of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission. Use of the logo is governed by a set of logo-use standards and a binding license agreement. Upon complaint, if a producer cannot prove that they are meeting the program standards, the business will be removed from the program. If you suspect a product does not meet the program standards listed above, please contact Michelle Edwards at (540) 829-7450 or medwards@rrregion.org.
Please note: Purely Piedmont labels should not be ingested or placed directly on food.