2014 was the 13th consecutive year of volunteer action to control trash on the Foxcroft Road. The author conducts this survey as a single observer. However, there are others who also pick up trash on the Foxcroft Road, such as the Middleburg Hunt and the Foxcroft students themselves. Therefore, if anything, the numbers here noted are understated.

At a value of 891 individual pieces of trash, the year 2014 was below the average of 1054 for the preceding twelve years, a 15% decline in production and the second lowest numerical total for all those years.

The course of trash collection is a 4.6 mile route of dirt and paved road that includes portions of the Polecat Hill Rd. (Rt. 696), the Foxcroft Rd. (Rt. 626), the Snake Hill Rd. (Rt. 744), and the Millville Rd. (Rt. 743).

A total of 891 individual pieces of trash, an average of 2.4 pieces per day, were retrieved from the Foxcroft Road. Most of the trash was recycled. The perennial nicotine champion, Marlboro, was way off in production, accounting for only 50% of its twelve year average. Camel, Newport, and Red Man were all reduced to insignificant numbers. This year's total was the third lowest in the last thirteen years. Since the American Surgeon General's survey has linked tobacco use to at least 21 diseases, the apparent decline in tobacco use is not mourned here.

In the New Age-Soft Drink category, there was moderately close competition between, the duopoly, Coca-Cola and Pepsico (49 vs. 32 in absolute numbers or 29% vs. 21% of the New Age-soft drink group). Coke has dropped 50% since its peak in 2011. However, Pepsi is down greater than 300% since its peak in 2010. These two brands labor under the perception that they promote obesity, and they have suffered the same fate as McDonald's.

The Fast Food group represented a total 14% of all trash in 2014. Both McDonald's and 7-Eleven had their fourth lowest production of trash in the last thirteen years. MacDonald's was off 256% from its peak in 2010, whilst 7-Eleven has only been off 31% since its peak in 2005.

In the Beer, Wine, and Liquor category, AB InBev currently controls 64% of the Foxcroft Road beer cans and bottles, whereas all other beers are responsible for 36% of market share. AB InBev accounted for a full 10% of all road trash. One would think that AB InBev would be happy with its dominant position in the market. However, in absolute terms AB InBev has dropped 344% from its high in 2006.

AB InBev with 10% (92 pieces) of individual trash exceeded Coca-Cola's absolute total of 5% (49 pieces). This year the "Trashy Ten" accounted for 39% of all road trash. The cumulative total number of pieces of trash per year has averaged 1051 for the last twelve years. 86% of this trash clearly bears the label of a commercial entity. 14% of all trash could be said to be "accidental." Though they have good and bad years, the following readily recognizable corporate entities are ranked in order of gross trash production on the public roads:

AB InBev (92) or 10% of all trash for 2014
MacDonald's (50) or 6% for 2014
Coca Cola (49) or 5% for 2014
Pepsico (36) or 4% for 2014
7-Eleven (26) or 3%
SAB Miller (23) or 3%
Marlboro (20) or 2%
Deer Park (19) or 2%
Red Bull (17) or 2%
7UP-Dr. Pepper (13) or 1%

This year's Foxcroft Road Pig Pen individual grand prize is awarded to AB InBev.

On a related subject congratulations are in order for landowners, Mark Casparwich and Peter Goltra for undertaking the splendid stone wall repairs and repointing on either side of the Foxcroft Road near the Benton Bridge. However, no compliments are extended to the proprietor of the former John S. Pettibone's Homewood Farm, which is the first farm on the right as one leaves Middleburg on the Foxcroft Road. Homewood now sports 150 yards of four strand barbed wire on metal posts. Alexander Solzenhitsyn, in The Gulag Archipelago, wrote that "the fiftieth anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution was also the hundredth anniversary of the invention of barbed wire." Barbed wire, an American invention, will perform as advertised especially in less than savory contexts. Seeing a horse caught in barbed wire is considerably uglier than trash on the road. Trash can be removed, barbed wire may cause wounds that will never heal.