Raising their spirits
Valley News Correspondent Silo Distillery began operating in Windsor’s Artisans Park in May of 2013. It was started by Peter Jillson and Anne Marie Delaney. Silo — a name chosen as grain silos are ubiquitous symbols of farms in New England and the Midwest — makes several unique spirits that highlight Vermont-grown ingredients. Delaney recently offered some insights into Silo’s origin and its operation. Question: How did Silo begin and...
‘Give them a reason to stay’
Valley News Correspondent Mark Babson did not wake up one morning and decide to open a craft brewery. He paid his dues in the industry for many years before starting River Roost Brewery in White River Junction in 2016. “I got started the way a lot of people start,” Babson said in a phone interview. “I was a pretty avid home brewer.” Realizing his hobby was becoming a passion, Babson took a job with Magic Hat Brewing in Burlington to...
‘An exciting time’ for wine
Valley News Correspondent When Dierdre Heekin began bottling wine at her Barnard winery La Garagista in 2010, she did not include the name of the grape on the bottles. “When we started it was hard to get people to try a Vermont wine because there was a bias about that,” Heekin said. “So we started out by not putting the grape variety on the label because we didn’t want people to think about hybrid varieties at that time because they...
‘Getting back to that pre-COVID pace’
Valley News Correspondent During the height of the pandemic, restaurants were ordered to shut down indoor dining and when they were allowed to reopen, seating was limited and there had to be adequate space between tables with barriers between booths. Many establishments improved or added takeout and started using more delivery services to keep business operating. While those days appear to be finally behind the dining industry for...
Market slows down, but remains strong
Valley News Correspondent The area’s residential housing market has slowed after a pandemic-fueled buying surge that sent home prices soaring — but area real estate agents don’t foresee a slump in the year ahead. Realtors and others who follow market trends of single-family home sales generally agree that the low inventory in the Upper Valley — and thus far a good economy — will keep prices strong in the coming year. But with...
‘The very best part of the business is the people’
For the Valley News Nancy Smith is the sole proprietor of the Shaker Hill Inn Bed and Breakfast in Enfield. She has been in the hospitality business since coming to the Upper Valley in the late 1990s from Virginia. While the COVID-19 pandemic and Airbnb have impacted the business, Smith maintains an optimistic outlook. She finds the people she meets at her B&B to be the best part of running the business. Question: In what ways did...
Communication’s carbon footprint
Vital Communities Communications Manager Everything a business does or produces — its goods and services — has a carbon footprint. And so do the words and images that describe those goods and services, including the business’ marketing and communications. Granted, the footprint of telling people about your medical services, baking products or manufacturing equipment is nowhere near as great as the footprint of providing those services...
The endurance of printed posters
Valley News Staff Writer/Enterprise Editor To say that social media has changed the nature of events promotion would be an understatement. People often turn to Facebook, Instagram and other forms of digital communication to learn about what’s happening in their communities.But that doesn’t mean that other more traditional forms still don’t have an impact, according to three Upper Valley arts organizations. Posters, for example, still...
Brands that wear well
Some fashion apparel never goes out of style. The versatile, simple T-shirt has been around for decades and is as popular today as it ever was, especially since printing processes have become more advanced. It seems there is no limit to T-shirt messaging: Advertise a business, outfit employees, celebrate a family reunion, honor a loved one at a charity walk, cherish memories from summer camp, express outrage, humor, sarcasm or just...
