The Fearrington House Country Inn and Restaurant earned the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award for 2008 for both lodging and dining. This is the 15th consecutive year it has received AAA Five Diamonds, and it is the only property in North Carolina to receive Five Diamonds in both categories.

The Fearrington House Restaurant has also become a Certified Green Restaurant, the only one in central North Carolina, an area that includes the Triangle, Triad and Charlotte.

Even the cows have come up a winner. As we reported Wednesday two of Fearrington's Belted Galloway cows took top honors at the 2008 North American International Livestock Exposition held in Louisville, Ky. Awards went to Jamie, a 2-year-old female, and her calf Alfalfa, a rare dunn-colored calf born in May. They took the Grand Champion Award for a cow/calf pair in their breed, along with first place in their division for Cow/Calf Pairs.

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• A new branch of Branching Out has opened in Hillsborough at 116 S. Churton St. Margaret Cannell, executive director of the Hillsborough/Orange Chamber of Commerce, says, "It's sort of like a vintage treasure store, with architectural antiques, furniture and decorative accessories." The store is based in Chapel Hill.

• A new spa has opened in Pittsboro. The Spa at Bell House at 74 E. Salisbury St. offers customized skincare treatments, microderm abrasion, facials, body treatment and massage therapy.

• The Bicycle Chain, with locations throughout the Triangle, sponsored the Tour de France's "Take Back the Tour" last summer on Time Warner Cable. Each Bicycle Chain store had a box for entries to give away a Trek 7100 bicycle. The winner was Elizabeth Buchman of Chapel Hill.

• A new Passport for Value coupon booklet with discounts from more than 100 Orange County area restaurants, retail shops, events, services, attractions and accommodations, is now available at the Chapel Hill/Orange Visitors Bureau at 501 W. Franklin St. The 2009 Passport offers discounts at Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough shops and venues, and is color coded for quick and easy use. It also includes an index of participants. It can also be requested on the bureau's Web site at www.visitchapelhill.org.

• Susanne Gaddis of Chapel Hill discussed her involvement in Community Supported Agriculture in the November issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine. She praised Timberwood Organics, a family-owned organic farm located outside Carrboro. Since 1989, the small farm has been growing food without chemical pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides. In Community Supported Agriculture consumers buy shares of a farm to responsibly promote and support local agriculture. The Good Housekeeping article by Jeff Wuorio titled "Readers' Tips for a Shoestring Budget" highlighted creative ways to save during tough economic times.

• The Jesse Kalisher Gallery (www.kalisher.com) launched its fourth annual auction for the Fisher House Foundation this past week. Kalisher both marched against the war in Iraq before it began and has expressed support for the troops for the past three years through this annual auction of his fine art photography. The Fisher House Foundation provides free housing for the families of military wounded within walking distance of military hospitals. This year, the Jesse Kalisher Gallery is auctioning off a $1,600 limited-edition, hand-printed and hand-signed silver gelatin print titled "Trees in the Mist." At press time, bidding stood at $800. The auction ends on Dec. 12 at 5 p.m.

• To show her support for The Arc of Orange County, Chapel Hill artist Kimberly Alvis recently donated a unique Christmas tree "ornament" to the Festival of Trees, The Arc's December fundraising event at University Mall. Alvis' ornament is an original 5x7 oil painting that she contributed to hang on the tree sponsored by Chapel Hill Magazine owners Ellen and Bill Shannon. Titled "The Gold Ribbon," Alvis' small painting features red roses in a green teapot with a gold ribbon looped around it. Many local businesses donated decorated trees for the festival. The trees are auctioned off to raise money for The Arc of Orange County, which works with and for people who have or are at risk for having developmental disabilities. The display remains in University Mall through Monday, Dec. 8.

Got news? Send your business announcements to Julian Sereno at sereno@mindspring.com