The West River Community Project nurtures community life in rural Vermont through shared donation-based meals, local enterprise, support of local agriculture, arts, gathering spaces, and neighbor-to-neighbor connection.

The West River Community Project, housed in the West Townshend Country Store on Route 30 in West Townshend, was established in 2011 to help foster the revitalization of our community in the West River Watershed. We wanted to create a public place to gather, make music, celebrate events, and show art. We wanted to support sustainability and local development in the local foods movement while creating access to the products of our community of artisans and help develop small agricultural businesses. We also wanted a place for our children to play, make friends, and feel included. Above all, we believe a connected community is a resilient community.

A group of neighbors and friends got together and established The West River Community Project.  In the old defunct country store we painted and built and today we have a thriving cafe, a community processing kitchen, a thrift shop, a post office, and lots and lots of activities. Friday cob oven pizza, music, and summer farmers market, monthly food buying club, and lots going on all the days in between.

We are a diverse group of people from all walks of life, with numerous perspectives and lots of productive energy. Among us are farmers and artists, business owners and homemakers, local students and interns from across the country. We are from the old hill country, the green mountains, the misty valleys, the eastern shore, and the city. We are dedicated to each other and our community. 

We encourage you to become a part of this community and invite new friends & neighbors to join us. Stop in for breakfast or lunch, shop at the Townshend Farmer's Market from May-Oct, volunteer, support our thrift store, attend local events & Friday pizza/music nights, and participate as a member of our flourishing community!