Iowa has traditionally courted a variety of religious sects looking to break away from American society and create their own paradise among the cornfields. In the eastern part of the state, you can find Amish, Mennonites, Quakers, and Pietists who all settled in the 19th century and enjoy thriving communities where they won’t be bothered by anyone but the occasional tourist.

Fairfield, where I covered a recent rally for Vermont’s independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, follows in that tradition, with a twist. Rather than hosting an obscure Christian sect, the town of roughly 10,000 is considered the international home for Transcendental Meditation and the Maharishi University of Management, named after Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.