Trish and Chris Thomas of Good Body Products at their Brattleboro Area Farmers Market booth
Congratulations to the winners of the Strolling of the Heifers and the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation Business Planning Competition. A total of $64,000 in prize funds were given out: $10,000 to each of four first-place category winners, $3,000 each to the four second-place category winners, and $1,000 each to the 12 runners-up. Funding for the competition came from a grant from the Windham County Economic Development program (the “Vermont Yankee settlement” fund), the Vermont Community Foundation and the Windham Foundation. Here are the first-place winners:
Farm-Food Division
New Business: Riversong Farm, South Newfane (owners: Juliette Carr, Henry Carr): A new, small, diversified farmstead in Newfane, offering pastured heritage pork, fine charcuterie and breeding stock.
Existing Business: The Bunker Farm, Dummerston (owners: Noah Hoskins, Helen O’Donnell, Jen O’Donnell and Mike Euphrat): The Farm is family-run and produces and sells pasture-raised poultry, beef, lamb and pork directly through a 12-month CSA. They also produce and sell maple syrup, winter greens, strawberries, asparagus, and heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes. They also operate a plant nursery and offer educational opportunities to local schools and community groups.
General Business Division
New Business: Wheel Pad, Wilmington (owners: Julie Lineberger, Joseph Cincotta, Riley Poor): A Wheel Pad is an eco-friendly, free-standing bedroom and bathroom structure for newly wheelchair-bound people. Pre-built, Wheel Pad is delivered then attached to an existing home on site.
Existing Business: Good Body Products, Guilford (owners: Chris Thomas, Trish Thomas): Good Body Products crafts therapeutic body care products in small batches using 100 percent organic and locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible. They are striving to achieve a true “farm-to-jar” business model, cultivating and processing their own botanicals for use in their healing products.
