Business Notes | June 1
June 1, 2022 | By Waterbury RoundaboutGrow Compost throws a Saturday 'soil-abration’
Now under new ownership by Casella, the Grow Compost facility on U.S. Route 2 in Moretown is open to the public for collecting food scraps and selling compost.
This Saturday, June 4, Casella invites the public to a "Soil-Abration" to drop off food scraps and tour the composting set-up.
The event from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. will include a live broadcast on WDEV, ice cream from Ben & Jerry's and food from K.C.'s Bagel Cafe. There will be face-painting for kids, games, and giveaways including a drawing for a Yeti cooler.
Casella will donate $1,000 to the Waterbury Area Food Shelf and $500 to the Vermont Food Bank in connection with the event.
Some helpful details: Drop-off for food scraps is from residential customers only. All food scraps are accepted without packaging (including compostable packaging); no food stickers/labels or bio bags.
For purchases: Compost products are listed online and include mixes for starting seeds and potting soil. Customers may pay by the scoop using their own containers. Bags are available for a small fee and staff can load large quantities of a half-yard or more. Delivery is also available on weekdays.
More information is online at casella.com/grow.
'Cheese the Day' at Cabot Annex this Saturday
Image courtesy Cabot Creamery Co-Op
Saturday is National Cheese Day and Cabot Creamery Co-operative will mark the occasion by giving away grilled cheese sandwiches.
"Cheese the Day" celebrations are planned in several locations including at the Cabot’s Farmers’ Store in Waterbury.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (or until supplies run out), staff will be making and handing out free grilled cheese sandwiches at their annex store on Route 100 in Waterbury Center.
“Cabot wants to bring a little joy to peoples’ day by serving up everyone’s favorite food— grilled cheese! We see it as a great opportunity to bring together our farmers, our friends, and our fans. That’s really the philosophy behind ‘Cheese the Day.’ It’s about celebrating the good, connecting with others, and seeking out experiences,” said Sarah Healy, the company's senior vice president of marketing.
Other Vermont locations for Cabot events on Saturday are Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock and Freund's Farm Market in Canaan.
Cabot is owned by hundreds of dairy farm families in the Northeast. Many of the farms are open to the public and welcome visitors, particularly in the summer months.
More information online at cabotcheese.coop/farm-trail.
Did someone say ‘cake’?
Over Memorial Day weekend, a sweet new spot opened in downtown Waterbury timed perfectly with the blooming of its namesake flowers.
Red Poppy Cakery has set up shop at the corner of Elm and South Main beside the Wine Vault.
The storefront space with the signature red bloom sign signifies a permanent home for owner Janina McCue whose pastime of baking cakes for friends and family turned into a made-to-order cake business in 2019 out of a shared commercial kitchen in Burlington.
Don’t expect to wander in to choose from cakes waiting to be taken home, however. The focus is custom orders using the shop’s menus of cakes and fillings and frostings.
McCue also likes to share her secrets. “In addition to baking FOR our clients, we also love to bake WITH our community,” the bakery’s website explains.
That’s where Red Poppy videos, online classes, and in-person workshops come in. Sign up to learn some new cake tricks or order ahead for occasions big or small.
More online at redpoppycakery.net.