OUR COMMUNITIES
Utilitarian Art
Southwest Virginia Museum’s quilt show displays the art of practicality April 2025 by Gregg MacDonald, Staff Writer There may be several big stone houses in Big Stone Gap, Va., but one stands out in particular: the Southwest Virginia Museum. Designated a National...
Stronger Together
VMDAEC celebrates 80 years October 2024 by Gregg MacDonald, Staff Writer In 1964, when U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman proclaimed Co-Op Month a nationally recognized event to be celebrated annually each October, the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware...
Up and At It
Making school mornings more manageable October 2024 story courtesy of Family Features Getting a family up and out the door before the school bell rings is no small task. Sometimes, it can even seem impossible, especially when encountering unexpected events like a...
More Than a Place to Pay Bills
As coordinator of vegetation management at Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative, Scott Sorrels is protective of environmental concerns throughout the co-op’s territory. But what about closer to home? What about in SVEC’s front yard?
VICE is a Good Thing for Cooperatives
Thirty-two students, many of them involved in 4-H and FFA, participated in the two-day Virginia Institute on Cooperative Education.
Going Solar
Net metering continues to offer cooperative members an alternative option for renewable energy at their homes or farms. Net metering is a billing practice that enables you to receive a credit for the excess generation your renewable fuel generator produces in the month.
Ditch Digging Done Right, Co-op Style
Ditch Digging Done Right DONNA WEST WAS ON HER HANDS AND KNEES, PEELING BACK CLOTS OF DEBRIS AND WET LEAVES at a children’s playground in Murfreesboro, Tenn., when she made a discovery. “It’s a drain,” she said. “I wonder if anyone knew it was here.” Answer: Probably...
A Preacher’s Home, in Perpetuity
January/February 2022Our Communities is a story and picture feature that celebrates the spirit of co-op country. Have a submission that depicts your co-op or community? Contact [email protected].
When 10,000 Leads to 120,000
Millie Winstead tells the story of a woman who sadly informed her last fall that their traditional family contribution to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank wouldn’t be forthcoming in 2020 because she and her husband had been out of work for several months.