Our purpose is to re-examine our remarkably successful agrarian past and--while we still enjoy the open and arable land available to us--to explore its potential to help shape our future as a town, a local economy, and a community. Looking backward, we are committed to collecting information about the farming past that still exists and to preserving the knowledge and technologies of our farmers in tangible form and through stories and oral histories. Looking forward, we want to work on imagining ways to make an intentional return to our agrarian roots work for us: improving our physiological and cultural health through "growing our own," for example, as well as exploring our capacity to develop an economy based more on food-related businesses and/or agri-tourism. Supporting farms and farmers, educating ourselves as consumers, and creating markets that represent a dialogue between the two sectors are also a part of our mission. In a cultural context too often defined by fear and feelings of powerlessness, we are excited by the opportunity to strengthen our optimism about our ability as individuals and as a caring community to shape our lives and define our experiences.  Inch by inch, row by row...