MetroWest495 Biz

"I find them coming from far and wide," said Canty, a Concord native and longtime proponent of unprocessed food. She's the director and producer of the documentary "Farmageddon," which tells the stories of small, local farmers who say they were forced out of business due to government policies. Canty said customers appreciate the restaurant's willingness to accom- modate dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free diets, plus its commitment to making homemade meals every day. But Concord, and its bucolic neighbors, to some degree, may also be generating a new identity as a haven for "locavores," the pop-culture term for people who prefer food that's lo- cally grown and produced. Town Manager Christopher Whelan said he's been pleased to see historic Concord draw new interest from entre- preneurs like Canty. Woods Hill Table is one of a handful of local eateries that have opened in the last several months, Whelan said. Those businesses are attracted by the ample availability of fresh produce offered by Concord's many small farming businesses, he said. Canty's restaurant, for example, uses produce from farms in and around Con - cord to supplement what they're able to produce on the 260-acre farm Canty owns in Bath, N.H. Corporate success breeds local success? There are also a number of small companies that are in the business of producing food, often organic, for retail sale, Whelan said. He chalks it up to the fact that many successful business people live in affluent Con- cord, which in 2012 had an estimated median annual household income of just under $130,000 and offers profes- sionals the best of both worlds with its country setting that's easily accessible to Boston. "We have a lot of entrepreneurs in town that maybe were successful in a corporate situation but now want to start a business of their own," Whelan said. That was the case for Kate Wei- ler, co-founder of DRINKmaple, a company that makes and sells maple water from the sap of maple trees. DRINKmaple markets the beverage as a pure form of hydration that's high in manganese and low in sugar. Weiler had a successful career with EMC Corp. selling hardware and soft- ware, but she decided to change gears because she wasn't passionate about her work. With a strong interest in fitness and wellness, she went back to school to study nutrition and became a certified holistic health coach. Natural attributes a draw Weiler said she and business partner Jeff Rose discovered maple water while training for an Iron Man competition in Canada. The two were instantly hooked, and, using their own money, started DRINKmaple last year. While the product is bottled at a facility in New York, Weiler said Concord was an ideal location because, for start- ers, she lives there and doesn't need a car to get to work. At lunch- time, there are plenty of trails available for exercise, which is important to her and Rose. "We just think it's a s page 25 MetroWest495 Biz | May 2015 23 CONCORD Central Mass. HEALTH CARE e-newsweekly SIGN UP TODAY! In this targeted weekly email newsletter, we'll report on the news, changes and trends in our region's health care industry. You'll find interviews of industry leaders, news on health care providers and insurers and close coverage of the industry that has the largest base of employment in the region. There will also be links to top statewide and national health care stories of interest to our audience. If you're an executive in a health care organization, a senior manager in a business who's in charge of keeping up with the latest changes affecting your company or an active and interested consumer, our new Health Care e-newsweekly will be a must read for you! Stay informed with our weekly e-newsletter Sign up today to receive it FREE www.wbjournal.com/enews Produced by the publishers of Worcester Business Journal The Region's Quarterly Health Care Magazine HEALTH C E N T R A L M A S S A C H U S E T T S The e-newsweekly for the region's health care industry CENTRAL MASS HealthCare HealthCare HealthCare HealthCare HealthCare CENTRAL MASS. HealthCare CENTRAL MASS. HealthCare CENTRAL MASS HealthCare CENTRAL MASS Health Care Kristin Canty's restaurant, Woods Hill Table, and Concord are a natural fit.

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