Building The Agricultural City -An Argument for Regional Economies
Is there a means by which we can construct a society in which the human being is central, not peripheral, with an economy that serves us? One in which it is understood that Nature has tolerance limits and that by crossing them too often we will destroy the foundations of our existence? Can we construct a society in which work is meaningful? One in which our voices are heard?
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Update from Thoreau College
Growing Seasons at Thoreau College is a 9-month, residential program for young adults seeking to challenge and cultivate themselves through an immersive, holistic curriculum designed to engage each participant as a whole human being.
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Real Small Towns
Telling triumphant stories of rural places that are thriving. Planting seeds of possibility in communities that are striving. Building bridges of understanding between urban and rural populations.
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A Year of Growth: Working to build a new kind of college
Thoreau College creates a context where students can nurture their sacred curiosity, connect with their deepest selves, and cultivate the capacities they will need to manifest their highest aspirations for the world.”
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Beyond the Valley
A look inside a Food Enterprise Center that is cultivating community beyond its walls
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Casting Anchor in the Scarcity of Rural Life
The rural concept, this reality of a population of 1,500 people, is incomprehensible to urban dwellers, understandably so. The incongruity of this life, coupled with my slow-living, puzzles many of them.
Changemaker: Euneika Rogers-Sipp and her resolute stewardship in the Black Belt South
Euneika Rogers-Sipp believes in the impossible. After years of working with marginalized communities in the Black Belt region of the South, she has faith in what can happen. “It’s all in the narrative,” she says. “What becomes possible depends on the story you tell.”
From Mining Gold to Farming Ice
The narrow ice-clad canyon echoes with the sound of myriad languages and accents, and countless picks swinging into ice, for up to three-and-a-half magical months each winter.
Overcoming the Urban-Rural Chasm, for Everybody’s Sake
Culturally, the distinctions that emerge between small towns and large metropolitan areas, rather than adding color to our national fabric, often become an intractable wedge that precludes real dialogue about our common interests, particularly the economic and ecological necessities that bind us together within a common fate.
Finnriver Farm & Cidery Update — A model of social, economic and environmental resilience
It is always a treat to visit the Olympic Peninsula —especially the folks at Finnriver Farm and Cidery in Chimacum— to see how things are evolving.
Using Art to Facilitate Social Cohesion in the North Fork Valley of Colorado
Over 40 artist applicants, ranging from blue-collar artists —hailing from Appalachia and far Northern Michigan— to graduates of Harvard and Yale, submitted work for consideration, eager and ready to work with the community here.
Action Removes Doubt: A Drive Towards Community Health in Allen County Kansas
We’re succeeding because we’re throwing away labels imposed on us —that something is liberal this or conservative that— and focusing on what works for US —letting the residents lead the work.
Island Housing Trust – How one small town addressed a crisis of affordable housing
On Mount Desert Island, year-round and seasonal residents are working with Island Housing Trust to protect one of their most valued assets—a vibrant community that keeps the lights on and shares the best of what it has to offer, from education to emergency services to a cup of sugar, all year round.
Update from Thoreau College
Growing Seasons at Thoreau College is a 9-month, residential program for young adults seeking to challenge and cultivate themselves through an immersive, holistic curriculum designed to engage each participant as a whole human being. Each Growing Season is organized around a distinct theme of broad contemporary and perennial significance, this year’s being HUMANS & NATURE.
Viroqua, WI
Viroqua, the county seat of Vernon county, sits perched on a high plain, overlooking the meandering hills in the “driftless” region of southwestern Wisconsin. The glaciers of the last ice age stopped short of this area, resulting in a landscape of winding rivers, meandering valleys and rolling hills peppered with sandstone bluffs.
Mineral Point, WI
It was just supposed to be an ordinary vacation—a brief escape from a job and a drive with a friend. But an unplanned detour that landed me in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, proved to be a life-changing event.
Homer, AK
Though reachable by plane and boat, there is only one way to get to Homer, Alaska by car: the 138-mile Sterling Highway which diverges from the singular southbound route, the Seward Highway, 90 miles south of Anchorage.
Floyd, VA
Where else but in Floyd can you learn from an old-timer how to forage ginseng one day and then meet Wavy Gravy – the Woodstock clown with an ice-cream flavor named after him – in town for FloydFest the next?
Decorah, IA
Thirty-six years ago, when song-leader and homesteader Liz Rog —on a serendipitous college visit with a friend— first stepped foot into the Midwestern hamlet of Decorah, IA, she knew with immediate, visceral certitude that this was the place she would make her home.
Marquette, MI
Perched on the brawny shores of Lake Superior with a population of 21,000, Marquette is a major shipping port and the small town hub of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Port Townsend, WA
Thirty-six years ago, when song-leader and homesteader Liz Rog —on a serendipitous college visit with a friend— first stepped foot into the Midwestern hamlet of Decorah, IA, she knew with immediate, visceral certitude that this was the place she would make her home.
Truckee, CA
Although Truckee falls outside the determined parameters for RealSmallTowns.com, we found ourselves there after being turned back on Donner Pass in a spring storm for lack of tire chains, and after spending a single night here, we were in love with the place and opted to spend another two.
Torrey, UT
For those travelers who long for the beauty and adventure offered in Utah’s many National Parks but wish to escape the crowds, Torrey, UT offers up a great escape.
Ouray, CO
The hard winters, relative isolation, lack of a ski resort, and resistance to high levels of development allow this town to maintain its sense of authenticity, and there is an earthy feel to it.
Nevada City, CA
For my tastes, Nevada City is pretty darn close to a perfect town. It harbors an engaged and active citizenship, reverence for the arts and nature, commitment to good, local food, strong community leadership, a pleasing climate, and of course, beautiful Sierra scenery
Red Lodge, MT
Though it seems impossible that a place serving as a gateway to Yellowstone National Park could maintain unadulterated local character, the tiny hamlet of Red Lodge, MT has somehow managed to do just that.
Stanley, ID
If you long for a place of peaceful solitude, if you love alpine hamlets, if you yearn for the zen of fishing, mountain biking, rafting, kayaking, backpacking, horseback riding, nordic skiing, snowshoeing or simply relaxing with a good book, you are sure to love Stanley, ID.
Methow Valley, WA
My husband and I first visited the Methow on a cross-country bike trip back in 1990. At the time, we loved the remote ruggedness of the area as well as the excellent roads that took us through the Cascade Mountains.
Salida, CO
For any traveler who loves the outdoors, but is looking for something more down to earth than the offerings off of I-70, Salida is a mandatory stop. The town itself is charming and laid back, while also vibrant.
Abiquiu, NM
Assuming that it would be too small to justify a stop during my aggressive trip schedule, I almost skipped this charming, unincorporated village during this go-around.
Medicine Park, OK
Driving southwest on Highway 44 from Oklahoma City, one sees a small cluster of craggy mountains poking up through the otherwise vast plains of tranquil landscape.
Greensburg, KS
If your interests lean towards green technologies and building, future development and sustainability, community outreach, or simply Midwestern endurance and grace, it is worth a trip to Greensburg, KS.
Grand Marais, MN
Though Grand Marais is certainly “off the beaten path” it is far from undiscovered, and there is a reason why. Those who love the outdoors, and those who love dramatic scenery will find the effort of a long trip up the Minnesota coastline justly rewarded in Grand Marais.
Yellow Springs, OH
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Silver City, New Mexico
The sleepy nature of Silver City is most likely the result of the the fact that it is far off the beaten path —four hours from Albuquerque and three from Tuscon; nestled in the heart of the Gila National Forest.
Belfast, Maine
Sitting on Penobscot Bay, at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River, the town of Belfast has a long and varied history, including fur-trading post, lucrative shipbuilding and shoe manufacturing center, seafood and poultry-processing hubs.
Farifield, IA
Over and over again, I am surprised and delighted by a small corner of the world where people have come together to affect change and create alternative realities. Fairfield, IA stands out in this regard, and I consider it my genuine good fortune to have literally stumbled upon it.
The Secret Sauce
Building The Agricultural City -An Argument for Regional Economies
Is there a means by which we can construct a society in which the human being is central, not peripheral, with an economy that serves us? One in which it is understood that Nature has tolerance limits and that by crossing them too often we will destroy the foundations of our existence? Can we construct a society in which work is meaningful? One in which our voices are heard?
Update from Thoreau College
Growing Seasons at Thoreau College is a 9-month, residential program for young adults seeking to challenge and cultivate themselves through an immersive, holistic curriculum designed to engage each participant as a whole human being.
A Year of Growth: Working to build a new kind of college
Thoreau College creates a context where students can nurture their sacred curiosity, connect with their deepest selves, and cultivate the capacities they will need to manifest their highest aspirations for the world.”
MORE STORIES »
Town Spotlight
Mineral Point, WI
It was just supposed to be an ordinary vacation—a brief escape from a job and a drive with a friend. But an unplanned detour that landed me in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, proved to be a life-changing event. I had lived in small towns most of my life, visited many more, and had studied rural communities as a student. But something felt different here. It was as though I already knew that I belonged here in this town.
Homer, AK
Though reachable by plane and boat, there is only one way to get to Homer, Alaska by car: the 138-mile Sterling Highway...
Floyd, VA
Where else but in Floyd can you learn from an old-timer how to forage ginseng one day and then meet Wavy Gravy – the Woodstock clown with an ice-cream flavor named after him – in...
MORE TOWNS »