Ben Hewitt

The Town That Food Saved Ben Hewitt

Over the past several years, Hardwick, Vermont, a typical hardscrabble farming community of three thousand residents, has jump-started its economy and redefined its self-image through a local, self-sustaining 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 food-based businesses have grown in the region. The entrepreneurs have created a network of community support, meeting regularly toshare advice, equipment, and business plans and to loan each other capital. Hardwick is fast becoming a model for other communities to follow. A captivating story of a small town coming back to life, this is narrative nonfiction at its best, full of colorful characters and grounded in an idea that will revolutionize the way we eat.