From Rogue’s Gallery to Foodie Haven

Hardwick, Vermont used to be one of those forgotten small towns where you were far more likely to find cheap beer and bar fights than artisan cheeses. But since the mid-1970s, Vermont has nurtured its sustainable food culture into one of the most enviable in the country, Gourmet reports. Hardwick is a capital, of sorts.

It’s home to several food-based businesses, including Vermont Soy, Patchwork Farm and Bakery and Apple Cheek farms. The town began attracting “left-leaning back-to-landers” 33 years ago with the Buffalo Mountain Food Co-op. Today diners flock to Claire’s, a successful community-based restaurant that gets 70 percent of its ingredients within a 15-mile radius.

Photo by Zesmerelda via Flickr (Creative Commons).

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