Vermont Tech announces business plan competition winners

Six of Vermont’s burgeoning business stars have won a total of $19,000 in prizes in Vermont Tech’s 2012 Food and Farm Business Plan Competition. The competition for food- and farm-related businesses encourages new business development. Open to residents and students in Washington, Orange, and Windsor Counties, the prizes were awarded on Friday, following presentations to a panel of judges. 

“At every stage of the competition, we were truly impressed with the individuals and businesses who came to us with ideas and business plans that show the broad range of creative thinking here in Vermont,” said Steve Paddock, Director of the Vermont Tech Enterprise Center, a business incubator designed to support growth companies. “The finalists stood out, but the competition was steep.” 

The winners include: 

Student Category:

Douglass Calderwood: $3,000

Calderwood, a senior at Vermont Tech, created a plan for a goat dairy in Craftsbury.

New Business Category:

First place, $5,000

Raven Hill Farm Natural Meat, Braintree

Katja Evans

Second place, $2,500

Vermont Whey Fed Pig Company, Waitsfield

Ignacio Villa

Existing Business Category:

First place. $5,000

Freedom Foods, Randolph

Cathy Bacon

Second place, $2,500

Green Mountain Flour, Windsor

Zachary Stremlau

Daniella Malin 

Third place. $1,000

Rhapsody Natural Foods, Cabot

Sjon Welters

Runner up:

Yummy Yammy, Norwich

Lisa Johnson

Runner up:

Tulsi Tea Room, Montpelier

Solenne Thompson 

The competition was open to farm and food individuals and businesses engaged in food production, processing, distribution, packaging, or retailing including restaurants. Also eligible were those in the agriculture enterprises of wood products, equine-related businesses, and fiber production. The Vermont Small Business Development Center offered Application Workshops in April to help those interested create high-quality applications.  

October 15, 2012 — About Vermont Technical College – Vermont Technical College is the only public institution of higher learning in Vermont whose mission is applied education. One of the five Vermont State Colleges, Vermont Tech serves students from throughout Vermont, New England, and beyond at its two residential campuses in Williston and Randolph Center, regional campuses in Brattleboro and Bennington and at six nursing sites located throughout the state. Our academic programs encompass a wide range of engineering technology, agricultural, health, and business fields that are vital to producing the knowledge workers need most by employers in the state and in the region. www.vtc.edu.