Today by sampling words enroute, I admired photos of some young cats looking for homes, learned how to eat Lefse (no licking), was reminded again what head cheese and blood sausage are, and that they're apparently still available, farmland prices, and got to thinking of rural mental health issues combined with veterans issues-- which made me once again wish I had never read that paean to rural despair, Ethan Frome. I also learned there's something called "whole farms" which I could learn about by taking a food college course. Oh, and that early cookbooks can be valuable historical references, showing insight in how people lived back then,. But of course. On other trips, I've been invited to a large wedding feast, learned about wild game suppers that were held the day before yesterday, etc.
Before I travel aboard, I often read the newspapers over there (thank the Internet,) and it's a really good way to get a take on the local issues there without the heavy filter of US reporting sources, and also get a feel of the local variety of English. I've come to really appreciate The TImes of India's science section, but not all the pop-up spam. It's not a site to visit without your popup blocker turned on, and heavy virus protection.
So the next time you're driving out in rural areas, admiring the beauty of openish spaces, and looking to buy some pie or whatever for your hosts,, take a gander at the local newspaper or community board and learn a bit about the people who actually live in the midst of this scenery.