Ben Hewitt's writing explores the intersection of rural life, community resilience, and the pursuit of localized food systems. Based in Northern Vermont, he chronicles the efforts of working-class communities striving to build self-sufficient food networks. His work offers a compelling look at sustainable living and the power of collective action in the face of modern challenges. Hewitt's narrative style brings these important themes to life with authenticity and insight.
The book explores a pivotal moment in the Romantic period, highlighting the interactions between George Gordon Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's influential work, Faust. It delves into the impact of these literary exchanges on the development of Anglo-German literature, examining how Goethe's themes resonated with Byron and Shelley, shaping their creative expressions and contributing to the broader cultural dialogue of the time.
45 step-by-step, illustrated activities that teach kids everything from how to see like an owl to build the world's coolest fort from sticks. (ages 8-12) Calling all adventurers! Want to know how to build a fort from nothing but sticks? Or find your way through the forest? This survival guide is your ticket to getting down and dirty in nature and learning to make the coolest things with your own two hands. Look inside to learn how to: • Use a knife without bleeding • Sleep in the woods without freezing • Escape a bear without getting eaten • Poop in the woods without falling down • Find your way home without a GPS • Eat bugs without throwing up • And so much more!
The charming story of one family's mission to build a deeper, lasting connection to land and community on their Vermont farm When Ben Hewitt and his wife bought a sprawling acreage of field and forest in northern Vermont, they were eager to start a self-sustaining family farm. But over the years, the land became so much more than a building site; it became the birthplace of their two sons, the main source of family income and food, and even a classroom for their children. Through self-directed play, exploration, and experimentation on their farm, Hewitt’s children learned how to play and read, test boundaries and challenge themselves, fail and recover. Best of all, this environment allowed their personalities to flourish, fueling further growth. In Home Grown , Hewitt shows us how small, mindful decisions about day-to-day life can lead to greater awareness of the world in our backyards and beyond. In telling the story of his sons’ unconventional education in the fields and forests surrounding his family’s farm, he demonstrates that the sparks of learning are all around us, just waiting to be discovered. Learning is a lifelong process—and the best education is never confined to a classroom.