Attention denizens of the West Corinth area! Rural Vermont is coming to town! We'll be introducing them at a supper on Wednesday, September 8th from 5:30-7pm at Crossmolina Farm in West Corinth.

Here's the background: Rural Vermont is a state-wide non-profit founded by farmers in 1985 whose mission is to support thriving agrarian communities through organizing, education, and advocacy. In public meetings across the state, Rural Vermont members have expressed interest in the possible development of local chapters to further connect to the grassroots and have a community-based presence. Join us for an exploratory conversation about how creating and sustaining such chapters throughout the state could serve and support your grassroots community.

We are co-hosting a gathering with Rural Vermont at Margaret Loftus and Jonathan Durham's Crossmolina Farm (site of the famous "Pizza Night") on Wednesday, September 8th, 5:30-7. Anyone interested in helping foster a thriving rural economy in our area is strongly encouraged to attend.

The chapter we envision could create an ongoing presence in our community similar to a library board or a service club for the agricultural community. It would give continuity to the kind of efforts that often begin with the enthusiasm of a few individuals but are subject to unexpected circumstances and a changing cast of characters. It would also have the organizational guidance of Rural Vermont, which could help bring in resources and direct the group's efforts into effective channels. A partnership combining Rural Vermont's organizing and advocacy with the local knowledge, experience, and passion of community volunteers could make it a significant force. If our project moves forward, it could become the model for similar chapters all over the State.

Please understand that this meeting is not being held either to raise funds or to solicit work commitments. It is a preliminary gathering to determine if this model would make sense for the community to pursue. How often to meet, what projects to undertake, who will execute them and at what pace—all these are matters for the group itself to decide. Commitments could be large or small, and the logistics of how a local chapter would fit into the greater nonprofit structure of Rural Vermont still needs to be determined. The purpose of the gathering is to gauge the amount of local interest, to make connections, and to see if there's the potential to set up an ongoing partnership between our community and Rural Vermont.

Please come, enjoy good local food and conversation with some of your highly interesting neighbors, and give us your thoughts. Minimally, it should be a lot of fun. Maximally it could augment (as Rural Vermont's mission statement puts it) "the resurgence of community-scale agriculture" in our neighborhood and in the world. An exciting prospect!

(Please RSVP to mollie@ruralvermont.org or lostmeadow990@gmail.com so we know how much food to bring. Many thanks.)