363: community collaboration feeds on itself

This is a great story! I found it in the New York Times today. It's about a small community in Vermont - a town called Hardwick - which has recreated itself as a kind of food-lover's paradise. Hardwick fell on hard times after its granite companies shut down, it seems. But in recent years, local entrepreneurs have banded together to revitalize the local economy - by making great cheese, growing wonderful vegetables, processing soy, creating lovely soups and more besides. Most interestingly, though, all these local entrepreneurs work collectively - they loan each other money, support each other with training, market each other's products, and of course they use each other's ingredients in their recipes! And they are keeping the local industry as natural and sustainable as possible - most produce is organic. As word of their success gets round, many more people are looking to join the team. Apparently, other agricultural entrepreneurs are actually asking if they can move into the area! It's a great testament to the benefits of collaboration - and I should think it's a pretty nice place to live too. (Photo from NYT.)