A small-town network of farmers and food advocates in Vermont is proving that sustainable, profitable agriculture doesn’t have to mean industrial-scale operations or partisan division.
Stephanie Hanes reports for The Christian Science Monitor.
In short:
- In Hardwick, Vermont, small-scale farms are part of a broader movement resisting industrialized agriculture by focusing on local food systems that prioritize soil health, economic resilience, and community relationships.
- A local nonprofit, the Center for an Agricultural Economy, supports these farms through infrastructure, marketing, business development, and low-interest loans to help diversify operations beyond traditional dairy.
- Interest in locally grown food is now crossing political lines, attracting support from both progressives and conservatives, even as recent federal cuts threaten some of the initiatives that make these efforts viable.
Key quote:
““We’ve just far exceeded any expectations that we set for ourselves. We’re selling everything we can. We can’t even grow enough. There’s such demand for it, from restaurants to retail to wholesale to markets."
— Doug Wolcik, co-owner of Breadseed Farm
Why this matters:
The rapid consolidation of the U.S. food system has left communities vulnerable to shocks and reliant on distant supply chains. In Vermont, a push for localized agriculture is revealing an alternative path — one rooted in regional self-sufficiency, farmer viability, and healthier diets. Industrial agriculture dominates the U.S. market, yet it has been criticized for environmental damage, nutritional shortcomings, and economic instability for small producers. Vermont’s approach challenges those trends by showing that a localized food system can feed people, support farmers, and keep money circulating within communities. As farmers face erratic weather, rising debt, and market volatility, the Vermont experiment shows that resilience may grow best on a small, well-tended plot. And in an era of political polarization, it’s notable that local food is emerging as a rare unifier.
Related: New technology helps Vermont farmers boost production and reduce pollution
