What bolsters the resilience of smaller farms to sustain themselves during times of economic, geo-climatic and socio-political unrest? This question is at the heart of a new collaborative study currently being undertaken by members of RCE Greater Burlington and RCE Puerto Rico that focuses on identifying essential elements of sustainable food systems. The members are conducting research in the dual geographies of Vermont and Puerto Rico and examining how humans interact with each other and integrate with the non-human world in the production and distribution of food.