FARMINGTON -- A business based on moms helping moms -- and dads -- is opening in Farmington.

Blessed Baby Boutique, which has been on Main Street in Wilton for the past year, is relocating to Farmington. On May 1, it will open next door to Up Front & Pleasant Gourmet on Front Street.

It is one of several business ventures opening in Farmington and Wilton. They include a burrito shop in West Farmington, a custom Website design business on Broadway in Farmington, and an Oakland computer business expanding to Wilton.

Blessed Baby sells baby-safe, environmentally-friendly products and toys including many designed and made by women in Maine and around the world. "We are a network of women who support each other in business," said organizer Heidi MacIsaac. A mother of two from Wilton, MacIsaac spent seven years working as a teacher working with families that have infants and toddlers, as a home visitor and an infant and toddler specialist and child care center manager.

"This store has made it possible for a lot of women's businesses to move forward and a lot of that has to do with supporting each other," she said.

The store is run as cooperative with different levels of membership. A percentage of each sale goes back into the business, and the more time a mother can work at the store, the lower the percentage. The co-op is always open to new members, MacIsaac said.

"Spring Blossom" is one of the home-businesses. Co-op member Karen Kidder, a mother from Farmington, concocts 20 natural skin-care products for babies and mothers using herbs and flowers including healing and soothing ointments and soaps and a new line of oil-based perfumes for moms.

"Spring Blossom" is one of the home-businesses. Co-op member Karen Kidder, a mother from Farmington, concocts 20 natural skin-care products for babies and mothers using herbs and flowers including healing and soothing ointments and soaps and a new line of oil-based perfumes for moms.

"The most exciting new product is a baby powder I make with ground chamomile blossoms from my own garden," she said. "They are blended with cornstarch and it is very soothing for enflamed skin."

Co-op member Crystal Davis of Strong has a clothing exchange at the store for "gently used" children's clothes and items for nursing and pregnant moms. And "Sweet Zinnias" is a business started by Industry parent Joni James who designs and sews machine-washable, one-of-a-kind stuffed cloth animals called "Floppy Friends."

"This is about moms helping moms. Being a stay-at-home mom can be very isolating," James said. "But now, we have this little community and our businesses can move forward."

Local mom Aimee Grimmel's line of BooBear Buns includes cloth diapers, covers and all-in-ones, and a line of baby slings all made with cotton. ] "We feel sad about leaving Wilton but when this space opened up, I felt we needed to go where the people are," MacIsaac said.

She said she is getting help as a small business person and is creating a business plan with Coastal Enterprises. She has also received help from Women, Work & Community in Farmington.

Blessed Baby will also be the site of the Western Maine Mothers' Center, a chapter of the National Association of Mothers Centers (www.motherscenter.org) and MacIsaac said there will be support groups, a meeting area, a lending library and playgroups.

For information on the business, for dates of upcoming workshops on breastfeeding, baby sling-wearing and diapering choices, and to order products, go to www.blessedbaby.org.

Other new businesses:

Big Mouth Burritos, Bridge Street, West Farmington. An eat-in, take-out burritos shop. Owner/chef Chuck Snell, who moved back to Maine from San Diego, said his specialties are homemade tortillas, burritos, tacos, fajitas and quesadillas. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 779-1800.

Mid-State Computers, 128 Weld Road, at the Nichols complex in Wilton. Owner Keith Mower said he is expanding from his Oakland store because there is demand for a business that services commercial servers, residential computers, sets up small to large networks, does computer upgrades, builds computers and servers, and offers emergency services. 645-5220.

North Wind Media, 224 Broadway in Farmington. Owners Eric and John Tompkins are professional Web designers and do anything relating to Web sites, from designing, e-commerce, Website hosting to maintenance and custom programming. A pre-designed, four-page Web site and content management training costs $499 and takes only seven days to set it up. 779-6798.

Betty Jespersen -- 778-6991