Hampshire College Alum Will Meyer 10F Pivots from Local Journalism to Local Eats with Vegan Pizza

Hampshire alum Will Meyer 10F is an entrepreneur, musician, journalist, and connoisseur of vegan pizza–making. He launched his business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Quarantined in his apartment, Meyer challenged himself to create a genuinely good and entirely plant-based pizza.

Vegan Pizza Land (VPL) operates from a retrofitted, vintage, wood-fired Airstream at Abandoned Building Brewery in Easthampton, Massachusetts, open from May through November. It also has two coffee counters: one inside Northampton’s Thornes Marketplace and the second in Easthampton’s Keystone Mill building. You can also find its pizza tent at pop-up events across the state, among them the Asparagus Festival, the Arcadia Folk Festival, and various breweries and events

What’s on the menu? Vegan versions of classic comforts such as Margherita and meatball pizzas, made with homemade cashew mozzarella or parm, flaky salt, and fresh herbs; and seasonal offerings such as street corn pizza topped with local roasted corn, garlic oil, lime crema, cilantro, and Tajín, all served on a fresh sourdough crust. VPL also offers sweet treats, like double chocolate buckwheat cake and gluten-free almond cookies.

For Meyer, though, the food is more than just delicious — it’s a way to promote ethical, climate-conscious consumption. “We try to make food that’s exciting and tastes good,” he says. “What’s the point of another vegan place that sells as much guilt as food? Even if the politics don’t shout at you, I think they’re deeply implied.”

What attracted you to Hampshire?

I was interested in nontraditional ways of learning and the chance to create my own major, many of the same reasons that drew plenty of other students to Hampshire. I had no idea what I wanted at first and it took almost four years to figure it out, but I learned quite a bit navigating my way.

Tell us about what you studied at Hampshire. What was your Div III?

I came to Hampshire thinking I’d study music, and I did initially. However, I ended up getting interested in history and politics and finished on a journalism track. My Div III was on the political economy of 2014 journalism — considering the fall of local newspapers, the rise of cheap online content, and how corporations were exploiting the weaknesses in the profession to push ads that masqueraded as legitimate journalism. 

What about life after Hampshire? Did your experience here influence your path?

I started an online Web publication that does journalism in western Massachusetts called The Shoestring. Although I’m no longer involved, it’s healthier than ever and is still publishing important work. As for how my Hampshire experience impacted my current work — it did, perhaps indirectly. Building The Shoestring gave me thick enough skin to be able to handle the stress and ups and downs of running a food-service operation.

Tell us about how you started Vegan Pizza Land.

I had a job as a prep cook at a local bakery and got laid off when COVID-19 hit. I took to cooking and got OBSESSED with making an edible vegan pizza. That’s a tall task because most vegan pizza tastes like cardboard with melted plastic on top. Dry, rubbery, et cetera. But as I was sad and stuck at home, I pizza’ed through it, starting with cheese and then dough — the rest is history. 

Why vegan? It’s no secret or even a conspiracy that animal agriculture is catastrophic, for both the animals and the environment. The United Nations says we need some massive plant-based shifts to avoid runaway climate change. But instead of using pizza to talk about that, the strategy has been to have a food business that is more maximalist and food-focused, and trying to push abundance instead of scarcity.

Tell us about being an entrepreneur. 

Running and owning a business is not for the faint of heart. It’s really hard emotionally and physically, but when it works, it can be very gratifying and rewarding. I started Vegan Pizza Land myself, but now I co-own the business with two other people, Kate Nadel and Mike Cook, and the only reason we haven’t gone under yet is all the amazing staff and customers who show up every day and make the whole thing happen.

We’re optimistic about what’s to come; we’re looking forward to having as much stability and sanity as one can have in this line of work. We’re not opening a brick-and-mortar pizza place or changing anything up right now. I would love to concentrate on the food and not on managing growth. 

Above image pictures Will Meyer 10F, Kate Nadel, and Mike Cook. All photos courtesy of Vegan Pizza Land.