The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food

Synopsis

Over the past several years, Hardwick, Vermont, a typical hardscrabble farming community of three thousand residents, has jumpstarted its economy and redefined its selfimage through a local, selfsustaining food system unlike anything else in America. Even as the recent financial downturn threatens to cripple small businesses and privately owned farms, a stunning number of foodbased businesses have grown in the regionVermont Soy, Jasper Hill Farm, Petes Greens, Patchwork Farm & Bakery, Applecheek Farm, Claires Restaurant and Bar, and Bonnieview Farm, to name only a few. The mostly young entrepreneurs have created a network of community support, meeting regularly to share advice, equipment, and business plans and to loan each other capital. Hardwick is fast becoming a model for other communities hoping to replicate its success. The captivating story of a small town coming back to life, The Town That Food Saved is narrative nonfiction at its best, full of colorful characters and grounded in an idea that will revolutionize the way we eat.