SINKS GROVE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Waymaker’s Meadows Farm owners Derek and Michelle Miller are currently celebrating a significant milestone as their business was selected as the first-place winner in the WV Hive’s Pitch Southern West Virginia Business Idea Competition.
Coordinated by the West Virginia Hive Network, the competition provided multiple Southern West Virginia businesses the opportunity to pitch their businesses to a panel of esteemed expert judges.
Derek and Michelle Miller are first-generation farmers who, in 2017, married at a 38-acre farm which they would later acquire. Waymaker’s Meadows LLC was registered as a business venture on March 25, 2024. The pair’s $2,500 first-place winnings from the Pitch Southern West Virginia Business Idea Competition will go into the continued expansion of farm, with 90 additional acres of land having been leased and plans underway for the purchase of additional electric coolers to allow for wider distribution of the farm’s eggs, meat, and produce offerings.
Current produce offered by the farm includes tomatoes, cucumbers, hot banana peppers, sweet banana peppers, jalapenos, squash, and bell peppers.
“Derek and Michelle are a dynamic team with a popular concept of providing fresh, locally grown food from trusted sources to customers,” said New River Gorge Regional Development Authority Deputy Director and West Virginia Hive Executive Director, Judy Moore. “They join several of our recent pitch competition winners who also offer safe, local sources of food in a reliable way.”
Derek expressed surprise at the quick success of the fledgling business in its endeavors with the Pitch Southern West Virginia Business Idea Competition.
“Being chosen to pitch in person was a surprise. We are just starting our business, so it is encouraging to know people can see the future we envision in providing a sustainable food source that is local, healthy, and quality,” said Miller. “It was rewarding to get to pitch in person to a supportive audience and offer the wholistic picture of what we are trying to do.”
“Everyone – including the other competitors – were so supportive of each other, and it was such a positive atmosphere. We were pleasantly surprised that we won,” Michelle added. “You are never sure if the plan you have in your head sounds as good to others as it does to you.”
Waymaker’s Meadows Farm is located at 4086 Wolfcreek Road in Monroe County. Waymaker’s Meadows can also be found on Facebook.
