Hardwick

Once known primarily for its granite quarries, Hardwick has reinvented itself as one of Vermont's most celebrated local-food communities. The town's transformation began in the early 2000s when a cluster of agricultural enterprises — including Jasper Hill Farm, Vermont Soy, and the Center for an Agricultural Economy — put Hardwick on the map as a model for rural food-system development. Ben Hewitt's book "The Town That Food Saved" told this story to a national audience.

Chartered in 1781 in Caledonia County, Hardwick has a population of about 3,040. The compact downtown along the Lamoille River includes a mix of historic commercial buildings, a food co-op, and the kind of independent businesses that reflect the town's entrepreneurial spirit. The granite industry that once dominated has faded, but the quarries and their history remain part of the town's identity.

Hardwick is governed by a selectboard with major decisions made at annual town meeting. The town's recent history demonstrates what happens when civic energy and agricultural innovation converge in a small Vermont community.