As much as this trip is about visiting food and social change projects, it’s probably even more about the people. After all, social change is ultimately composed of a group of people changing one by one. Some of the people I have met are directly associated with a project that is spearheading some kind of community change – be it bicycle advocacy or youth food education. But I would say the majority of the people I spend my time with are more subtle social changers: they generously host me, feed me, and share with me their insights and visions on creating a better world.

In Burlington, I stayed with a couple I found on Couchsurfing. By the end of my longer than anticipated stay, we felt more like long time roommates than strangers, having shared many meals and conversations together. The pair will be moving to North Carolina come the fall, and I may have even inspired them to bike, instead of fly, there!

After Burlington, I headed to Hardwick – a small town in northern Vermont that has recently experienced a climb to fame, after it was featured by the New York Times and in the recently published The Town that Food Saved. Indeed, there is a lot of buzz around here about how a budding food scene is helping this previously downtrodden area back onto its feet.

I found out about Hardwick through Bikeloc – two guys who are biking across America telling the stories of the local food movement through potlucks. Soon after, I got an email out of the blue from Chuck, a man who lives in Hardwick and heard about my trip through the newsletter I write in at my local food coop in Toronto. Small world eh? He invited me to come and stay if I ended up in the area, and as an organic dairy farm inspector, he could easily show me around and meet some of the people involved in the food scene. It looked like all signs were pointing to Hardwick so when I did eventually roll into Vermont, I took Chuck up on his offer.

And boy am I glad I did! For four days, we trucked around the Hardwick area doing all sorts of stuff, from a bike ride up to Bread & Puppet Theatre, tending to his honey bee colony, grocery shopping at the food coop, and spending the evenings cooking wholesome dinners and talking about the world. I was in Hardwick for my birthday. Conveniently, a potluck was already planned for that night at his house. Naturally, I took the opportunity to bake an Emily-friendly (vegan, gluten-free) cake to celebrate the occasion. Once again, it all felt like home.

More and more my suspicions are confirmed: How do we create social change? By being open, by turning strangers into friends, by sharing home cooked meals, and by taking the time to inspire each other.

Thank you to all who have hosted me so far. You have changed me more than you know. Perhaps the feeling is mutual.

While I am sure I could write a great deal about the Hardwick food scene, my suspicion is that others, including the New York Times, have done it better. Here are a few places I checked out, but I encourage you to read up on this great town, and better yet, visit it sometime!

Buffalo Mountain Food Coop & Café

This is one of the oldest food coops in the US. It has remained small and personal, by helping nearby communities start coops of their own instead of responding to increasing pressure to expand. After a couple of visits here, I began to recognize faces and had made several friends. It felt just like home!

The Center for Agricultural Economy

This project began after some forward thinking food businesses realized they could create a great synergy for the Hardwick area by collaborating and putting some energy into scaling up a cohesive food system. It seems that Hardwick had all the parts to a comprehensive food system in place: a seed company (High Mowing Seeds), many organic farms, a food coop, a restaurant featuring local fare (Claire’s Restaurant), a composting facility (Highfields Composting), a progressive and supportive community, and an organization devoted to bringing them all together (CAE).

For those of you who may be interested to hear some of my ramblings while on a bike, I recorded a couple of short “audio-blogs” during the ride up to Hardwick. They are entirely stream of consciousness and unedited. You’ve been warned! :)

Talking to Myself Part 1

Talking to Myself Part 2