4.0

Really interesting book. Hardwick is one town (well, really an area that encompasses several towns) with several community members who are interested in and working on re-vamping the food and agricultural system in the area. It's gotten some national press for this. The town's had agriculture and family farms for a couple hundred years or more, of course, so there's some conflict between old-timers and newcomers.

The author isn't just one of the reporters who's been checking things out. He and his family live on a 40-acre farm in one of the nearby towns, where they grow much of their own food. And they shop in the Hardwick businesses. So he's a local, too, with a personal interest in all of this.

Neither Hewitt nor Hardwick has all of the answers. This book will not give you a prescription for how to turn your community into a healthy local food system. But Hewitt does do a good job of exploring the issues and considering the questions. I would recommend this book to anyone who's interested in and concerned about our food systems today.