Lavender Farm Idea Wins Carroll Entrepreneur Contest

Dawn Pritchard, with her idea for Silver Linings Lavender Farm, won the 2013 Carroll Biz Challenge in a live event at McDaniel College Friday evening.

Five finalists pitched their business plans to a panel of judges Friday night at the second annual Carroll Biz Challenge finale event.

The Carroll Biz Challenge is a local competition for entrepreneurs, with the winner taking home $5,000 to help progress his or her business idea. There were 15 entrants in this year's contest. 

Dawn Pritchard plans to open a lavender farm and she said with the $5,000 prize, she plans to open in 2014 instead of her initial plan of 2015. 

"I'm going to buy $1,000 worth of product so I can get the line going -- soap, lotion -- then with $4,000 I'm going to put a downpayment on land," Pritchard said. 

She said she is looking for land in Sykesville or Westminster. 

Pritchard said she toured England several years ago and fell in love with lavender farms. 

"It's going to be a a wonderful destination in Carroll County," Pritchard said in a recent video. "Not just a farm where you go and buy lavender. I want it to be a place where people will come and tour and see the beautiful waves of purple and sip lavender tea and look at artwork hanging in the barn. It'll be lovely."

Several other entrepreneurs in the contest were recognized for their ideas at Friday night's live event.  Bryan Zuber of Stratosphere Trampoline Park was selected as the People’s Choice Award winner and Josh Killingsworth of Capstone Construction and Laura Ruby of the Optimal Wellness Center were the Zenith Capital Holdings Big Idea Award winners.

Four local business men and women judged the contest: Jeanne Sherwood of WellAdvantage; Josh Kohn of Kohn Creative; Mike Gibble of Zenith Capital Holdings and Terry Smack of Terry's Tag and Title.

Kohn said he voted for Silver Linings Lavender Farm because it will provide a destination in Carroll County and also because the potential for growth with online sales. 

Watch videos of the five finalists on the Carroll Media Center website.