Ginny Sassaman is a co-founder, past president, and advisory board member of Gross National Happiness USA, and the creator of the Happiness Paradigm. Since 2013, she has served as a lay preacher at Unitarian Universalist churches in Vermont, Massachusetts, Wisconsin and South Carolina. Originally from central Pennsylvania, Ginny and her husband spent many years living in Washington, DC, before settling near Montpelier, Vermont in 2001.

Ginny has a master’s degree in Meditation and Applied Conflict Studies from the Woodbury Institute at Champlain College in Burlington VT, and a Certificate in Positive Psychology from Tal Ben-Sharar and the Wholebeing Institute. She has been the communications director for national non-profits (Common Cause and the Woman’s Legal Defense Fund), a full-time watercolor artist and a working mediator.

In 2009, Ginny joined with others in central Vermont to co-found Gross National Happiness USA, the first grassroots organization in the United States focused on building a movement for a thriving and sustainable future based on a holistic framework of defining individual and collective success. She served as President for a year and now serves on the GNHUSA advisory board. She is also on the advisory board of the Happiness Alliance, a Seattle-based group which collects and analyzes happiness data.

Ginny released her book, Preaching Happiness: Creating a Just and Joyful World in 2020. The book is a collection of secular sermons she has delivered in Unitarian Universalist churches and fellowships from 2013 through 2019. Each sermon explores the connection between spirituality, personal happiness, and with the urgent need for broad economic systems change. Ginny has also given speeches and presentations on individual and collective wellbeing in Seattle; Portland, OR, Santa Fe, NM; Burlington, VT; Charlotte, NC; New York City and Costa Rica.

To learn more about non-violent resistance and the work of Erica Chenoweth visit her Harvard website.

Music for this podcast – Adding My Voice by Railroad Earth

Stay Informed

Subscribe to Bordertown Email

D. Davis is an amazing musician who has performed with a wide range of artists in Vermont since he arrived in Burlington in 1997. Originally from Brielle, NJ, D. grew up walking the beaches at the New Jersey Shore. Music was a big part of family life and Dee found joy in family music sessions including friends and family of all ages. In the podcast we talk about D.'s journey from NJ to Vermont and he sings songs relevant to the various phases of his life.

D. moved to Burlington in 1997 and got deeply entrenched in the vibrant music scene of BVT in the late 90’s. He talk about different phases of his musical journey and how he know performs and teaches styles ranging from blues & rock, to classical, jazz and the Romantic era of guitar/music. Always active with various musical groups, D. talks about his current bands including Red Hot Juba, The Peoples House Band, The Faerie God Brothers, The Devonian Hot Club. He also plays in two duos, with Marc Gwinn and Django Soulo, and of course the occasional solo gig.

D. teaches young artists and provides healing and music therapy through his non-profit, The Community Music Initiative. This is a first on the Bordertown podcast, where the interview is highlighted with live performance! Please enjoy my conversation…and the music of…D. Davis!

Music for this Podcast provided by D. Davis

Stay Informed

Subscribe to Bordertown Email

Charlie Watt is the owner and operator of Home Coming Seeds, an open-pollinated seed farm specializing in vegetable, flower and herb seeds with a focus on bioregional adaptation.

Charlie was hired in May of 2023 to manage the Montpelier Community Feast Farm, a no-till farm run by the Parks and Trees Department in collaboration with Montpelier's Community Services Department. They grow fresh, healthy produce for food-insecure neighbors in Montpelier.

The Feast Farm was located at the convergence of the Winooski River and the Stevens Branch between Barre and Montpelier Vermont. Two month after Charlie was hired, on July 10 & 11, 2023 over 12 inches of rain fell, causing the river to crest approximately 21.29 feet. The Feast Farm, as well as much of the infrastructure, businesses, landscapes and homes of central Vermont were permanently impacted.

Over the next year, straddled with decreasing resources and increasing hydrological pressure, the Parks Department was still able to serve as first response to the flood disaster (as a key partner in Montpelier’s central flood response hub), organize community events to build relationships and increase capacity, AND reestablish their farm at a new, city-owned location, a couple hundred feet above the flood plain on Country Club Road. I was amazed to see how quickly they established their farm and organized conversation abouit potential reuse of this location

Charlie has moved onto the next chapter in his life, which is a farm-based seed company called Home Coming Seeds. a seed company located in Northfield Vermont. Charlie and his family have made quick progress establishing the initial growing area, constructing support structures around the farm, launching the company and preparing to launch their catalog in 2026.

Energy is still gathering around the Country Club Road Property and a recent design excercisse generated a varity of visions which you can review at Vision Montpelier.

Music for this Podcast - "Grandfather Mountain" by Railroad Earth.

Stay Informed

Subscribe to Bordertown Email