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Lavender Farm Restores Former Coal Land — And Creates New Jobs in Appalachia
A longtime academic and research-program manager, Jocelyn Sheppard never expected to become a farmer. But in 2016, she worked on a project demonstrating that lavender could thrive in the rocky soil atop West Virginia’s reclaimed coal mines. Recognizing the project’s environmental and economic potential, Sheppard in 2018 founded Appalachian Botanical Co. — a social enterprise…
Massachusetts Rental Business Helps Locals Tackle Projects — and Throw Parties
In 1985, Brian Grant and his father launched Grant’s Tool Shack, selling used tools at local flea markets around Lakeville, Massachusetts. When a customer offered them space for a storefront, they leaped at the chance to open their own shop — and in 1988 renamed their business Grant’s Rental. Over time, the business grew into…
After Battling Lyme Disease, New York Mom Creates a Safer Way to Repel Ticks
After a harrowing experience with neurological Lyme disease, Lisa-Jae Eggert was determined to protect herself and her family from the kind of tick-borne illness that had upended her life. But the chemicals in most insect repellants made her symptoms worse, triggering neurological flare-ups, so she decided to create her own solution. In 2018, Lisa-Jae founded 3…
