COOPERATIVE FOCUS
Recharging the Workforce
According to BLS, there will be 7% employment growth for power line workers from 2024 to 2034 — nearly 11,000 job openings per year for power line installers and repairers.
Leading the Charge
Cooperative Living celebrates Women’s History Month by sitting down with Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s 75th governor and the first woman elected to the commonwealth’s top office.
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Contrary to popular belief, winter is an excellent time for outdoor adventuring.
The Journey to the Top
A CEO’s journey is a testament to her determination, resilience and the power of dreams March 2025 by Laura Emery, Staff Writer “I remember my mother bringing a calculator to the grocery store,” says Sonja Cox, president and CEO of Southern Maryland Electric...
Breaking Down Barriers
Rapidan River project seeks to increase local fish populations January-February 2025 by Jeff Poole, Contributing Writer For more than two centuries, a dam across the Rapidan River in Central Virginia was an economic imperative. It propelled manufacturing and commerce...
Community Roots
Charles “Charlie” Cawley and his wife, Jane, aren’t just tree farmers. They are also the creators of holiday memories.
Of Light & Magic
Every Halloween, Noel Dickover turns the front lawn of his Centreville, Va., home into a sprawling showcase of beautifully intricate, hand-carved pumpkins, all softly aglow.
Breeding Success
Whenever Elaine Shirley leads visitors on tours of the agricultural exhibits at the Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster, Md., she always stops to showcase a plywood cut-out of a dairy cow.
It’s not that the museum lacks any living livestock. Shirley, the museum’s curator, is trying to make a point. The exhibit is painted with markings matching a Sheeted Somerset — a breed that went extinct in the 1930s. She says the reason for the board bovine often catches guests by surprise.
Where Life is ‘Just Peachy’
Welcome to Fruit Hill Orchard in Palmyra, Va. August 2024 by Laura Emery, Staff Writer “Just peachy” perfectly describes life at Fruit Hill Orchard in Palmyra, Va., from July 2 until shortly after Labor Day. That’s because it’s peach season, and there are peaches...