Small Organizations, Big Upgrades

Every year the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services accepts applications from municipalities and nonprofit organizations for capital costs associated with the development of facilities expected to create or retain job opportunities in Vermont communities through their Building Communities Grants Program.

The 2023 round of awards included two staples in the Brattleboro community: Sidehill Farm and Food Connects. Both operate out of the Business Park (a building owned and managed by BDCC). Both organizations were looking to purchase new equipment in order to increase production and hire new employees.

Sidehill Farm is local family food business making delicious products using local ingredients. They received a $15,000 grant to purchase and install a new boiler which will allow them to create new products and keep up with the demand for their locally made currant jams, fruit butters, and Vermont maple toppings.

Food Connects is a local non-profit that local food producers with markets, and connects people with locally grown food. Demand for their work had outpaced their facilities, so they had been renting  freezer space from one of their partners. This $12,500 grant is helping Food Connects expand their own freezer space, which will be located in their recently expanded Business Park facility.