Field Report: New England Expansion

The Seacoast guide was the proof of concept. One region, mapped in detail — every farm, fishery, and bean grower within a 30-minute radius of Portsmouth. It proved the thesis: you can eat extraordinarily well without a single container ship, and it costs roughly what you’re already spending at the grocery store.

Now we’re scaling the operation.

Incoming Intel

Nine new regional guides are in active development. Seven cover the New England corridor — the densest concentration of small-scale agriculture, fisheries, and food infrastructure in the country. Two satellite guides extend the network to regions with fundamentally different growing conditions.

New England Corridor:

• Portland, ME — Farm-to-table capital of the Northeast. Lobster wharves, island farms, and a food scene that punches above its weight class.
• Bangor, ME — Gateway to Maine’s agricultural interior. Potato country meets the Penobscot.
• Manchester, NH — Southern New Hampshire with direct access to Merrimack Valley farms and orchards.
• Burlington, VT — The gold standard for local food infrastructure. Dairy cooperatives, grain revivals, and a culture that actually buys what it preaches.
• Berkshires — Rolling farmland between the Taconic Range and the Connecticut River.
• Cape Cod — Surrounded by some of the most productive fishing grounds on Earth. Shellfish grants, cranberry bogs, and salt marsh agriculture.
• Rhode Island — The smallest state with the shortest supply chains. Narragansett Bay shellfish and Blackstone Valley farms.

Forward Operating Bases:

• SF Bay Area — Year-round growing season and the birthplace of the farm-to-table movement.
• Reno-Tahoe — High desert meets Sierra Nevada. Ranching country with access to California’s agricultural corridor.

Why These Regions

New England first because the infrastructure is already there. Every state in this corridor has farmers markets, CSA networks, and direct-sale producers. The challenge isn’t finding local food — it’s mapping it comprehensively enough that someone new to the area can build a complete supply chain in their first month.

The satellite guides test whether the template scales beyond the Northeast. Different climate, different agriculture, different food culture — same fundamental question: can you feed yourself without the global supply chain?

What’s Next

Each guide follows the same structure as the Seacoast directive — seasonal onboarding, category deep-dives, budget breakdowns, and a filterable quick-reference directory. Every vendor listed will be vetted. Every price will be based on real-world sourcing.

Check the Field Guides index (opens in new tab) to see the full coverage map. Guides will publish as they’re completed — Portland is first in the queue.

The supply chain is fragile. Your local food network doesn’t have to be.