Glastonbury Aquaponic Food Producer Named Top Social Enterprise Business

ewalsh • November 2, 2015

For full Hartford Courant article details and related content, please click here.

Fresh Farm Aquaponics, a Glastonbury startup that uses water-based systems to grow produce and fish, has won the top award in the annual reSET Impact Challenge for social enterprise businesses.

Fresh Farm won $20,000 and a package of services from reSET, a nonprofit Hartford group known as the Social Enterprise Trust, at an event Thursday night. The company previously received $10,000 from Connecticut Innovations.

Fresh Farm’s business model includes education, along with a sharp attitude about change that’s common among social enterprise companies.

“Tech companies are too focused on faster cat videos and not enough on the glaring problems facing humanity. We wanted to work on cutting edge technology that actually made a difference,” Fresh Farm says on its website.

Movia Robotics, a Hartford company that helps children with autism, and Planet Fuel, a Fairfield organic juice producer, each won the $10,000 second-place prize.

Hartford Prints!, a downtown letterpress business, and ParrotMD, a UConn student startup with a system to help illiterate patients take medications, each won a $5,000 prize.

The awards this year were open to businesses from outside of Connecticut as reSET, with its offices in Hartford’s Parkville neighborhood, seeks to expand. BookBugs, an online children’s bookseller in West Lebanon, N.H., won a $1,500 prize based on an online vote.

ReSET was the chief advocate of a 2014 state law allowing formation of benefit corporations, which are set up with specified social goals in their charters. Earlier this year, the group won a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Dan Haar

By awalsh October 27, 2025
Special Discount Available for Attendees Purchasing Tickets to Both Events
By awalsh October 1, 2025
11 Impact-Driven Food Businesses Ready to Scale Operations and Community Impact
By awalsh September 22, 2025
Program Partnership with Breakfast Lunch & Dinner Supports Early-Stage Retail Businesses with Social Impact Focus
July 7, 2025
Listen in to the replay of John Voket of Connoisseur Media's interview of reSET Food Program Manager Katrice Claudio and Program Manager Ndubisi Okeke that aired on Sunday July 6, 2025. They talked about the reSET programs that are enrolling for the fall--the Food Accelerator for food businesses looking to scale, and the Retail Incubator for early stage product-based businesses looking to ramp up for holiday markets in Connecticut. Listen here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8745230-reset-fall-program-preview The interview aired on the award-winning "For the People" show on Sunday, July 6 on WEBE 108 FM, STAR 99.9, WPLR FM and THe VOICE of Connecticut and on the podcast.
By awalsh June 17, 2025
Food Accelerator and Retail Incubator Offer Comprehensive Support, Mentorship, and Grant Opportunities for Growing Businesses
By awalsh May 22, 2025
Request for Proposal: Communications Consultant Services
By awalsh April 8, 2025
Twelve Food Businesses to Present at Focus @ reSET on Monday April 14th in Hartford 
February 18, 2025
The Combined Organization Will Amplify Entrepreneurial Impact on Connecticut
By awalsh October 7, 2024
Pitches and Products to be Presented at the Parkville Pop-Up and Pitch Showcase on October 30th
By awalsh September 5, 2024
Sustainable CT Crowdfunding Campaign Launches to Support BBAU 2024, Gathering Innovators and Leaders to Explore Cooperative Economic Principles