Vermont Business Magazine Strolling of the Heifers celebrated the achievements of its Founder, Orly Munzing on January 31 at an event honoring her on her retirement. Munzing has served as The Stroll’s Executive Director since 2001. Taking the helm as Executive Director is Lissa Harris, who brings years of nonprofit and marketing experience, as well as a healthy dose of grit.
Executive Director Lissa Harris
“I’m thrilled to carry on Orly’s legacy along with our dedicated staff,” said Harris, “Strolling is a unique gem in the heart of our community and I’m excited to work with our local organizations and businesses to further our mission.”
Munzing hatched the idea for the first Strolling of the Heifers Parade on Main Street in 2002 as a way to honor local dairy farmers as well as raising public awareness about the benefits of eating locally-grown food. Fast forward to 2020, and SOTH has grown from a small-town parade into a regional movement with year-round programs and events. In recent years, “The Stroll” has expanded its horizon to include not only sustainable agriculture and food systems, but many other aspects of local economic sustainability.
Munzing’s vision for a parade was just the beginning. The Stroll now hosts the Slow Living Summit, a two-day summit focusing on sustainability and entrepreneurship; the Farm-To-Table Apprenticeship program which teaches nutrition and culinary skills and provides therapeutic supports to unemployed and underemployed community members; Windham Grows, a successful farm & food business accelerator; and publishes the nationally-recognized Locavore Index each year.
Orly Munzing
Tributes to Munzing’s vision and determination came from several speakers during her retirement celebration – Chairman of The Stroll’s Board, Jack Davidson; Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor, David Zuckerman; Erica Campbell on behalf of Senator Bernie Sanders; Former VT Secretary of Agriculture, Roger Allbee; Steve Gordon, CEO of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital; The Stroll’s Executive Director Lissa Harris; and Munzing herself. Ms. Campbell presented Munzing with a framed notice of the Congressional Record made by Sen. Sanders. "I rise today in recognition of Orly Munzing,” Sanders said, “an extraordinary Vermonter and longtime advocate for family farms and resilient communities."
At the event, Munzing expressed her confidence in Harris to carry the torch and continue her legacy and stating that she is “blessed with a great staff”. Harris has been leading the organization since Munzing’s official retirement in December of 2019.
Strolling of the Heifers is a non-profit organization with the mission of connecting people with healthy local food, encouraging and facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship in the farm/food sector, and supporting the development of stronger local food systems and healthy, sharing, connected and resilient communities. More information at www.strollingoftheheifers.com.
Source: BRATTLEBORO, VT — Strolling of the Heifers 2.5.2020