Fifty-plus years, and it may seem that nothing much has changed in the US of A. Substitute Richard Nixon for Donald Trump, throw in an unpopular war with corrupt leadership, chaos and protests on the street, the National Guard, unlawful detentions and, like Yogi Berra is reported to have said, it’s like déjà vu all over again. Lee Boutell — who came to  Eugene from Kansas in 1971, and is the author of We Can Change the World: An Intimate Journey Through the Early 1970s — offers a counterpoint, which he will share July 12 at Oregon Country Fair. He and friends opened Eggsnatchur Natural Foods Restaurant in Eugene, a pioneering organic vegetarian eatery that operated from 1971 to 1976. The establishment was known for its commitment to high-quality, low-cost food, community engagement and social activism. “Organic foods were not available at the time,” Boutell notes. “We wanted to make life-healthy choices.” In a sense, Boutell says, a true movement took hold locally and nationally, and the natural values lived at the time are relevant today. “We’ve improved in choices and lifestyle,” he says. “It was a change of consciousness.” We Can Change the World, which includes the life of Eggsnatchur as well as an impromptu lunch with Cesar Chavez, was published by Luminare Press of Eugene in 2024. Boutell says he spent six years traveling mostly the West Coast interviewing people for the book.

Lee Boutell will read and talk about his book We Can Change the World: An Intimate Journey Through the Early 1970s at2 pm, Saturday, July 12, at the Chez Ray Stage at Oregon Country Fair in Veneta. Free with admission to Fair. Information on how to buy the book is at WeCanChangeTheWorld.net.