Tristan Roberts writes from Quill Nook Farm in Halifax, Vermont, where he grows and teaches about heritage plants. He was elected to the Vermont U.S. House and served from 2023 to 2025, and is also founder of Metricorps, a community for sustainability practitioners. In addition to writing this series for the Institute for Policy Studies, Tristan’s longtime writing project, This Spot on Earth, brings a heartfelt and hands-on approach to building local resilience.
The Guilford food hub: Growing community resilience one lemon bar at a time
How a small Vermont town built a thriving local food system that keeps $50,000 annually in the community while creating social connection.
October 16, 2026
Neighbors helping neighbors: Building community work exchange networks
How the authors organized a “frolic”, reviving a tradition of shared labor that builds the trust and resilience communities need.
October 13, 2026
Navigating the great unraveling: How communities are building place‑based resilience
How can we prepare for a disrupted future? The growing frequency and variety of global disruptions raise the question of how communities can prepare.
October 5, 2026
Does your neighborhood need a coffee klatch?
How a tiny town in Vermont turned a simple weekly gathering into the social glue holding a neighborhood together.
October 2, 2026
Our town, our table: The community-building power of a shared meal
Can community potlucks provide a solution to America’s loneliness epidemic?
September 30, 2026
