It all began in junior high gym class in Merrick, Long Island. Two boys, running around the athletic field, had found a common bond. Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield hated running, but they loved food. In 1978 they decided to go into business together. With diplomas from a $5 correspondence course & their life savings ($8,000), they converted an old abandoned gas station in Burlington, Vermont, into the original Ben & Jerry�s & stated making Vermont�s Finest ice cream. They used only fresh Vermont cream & milk, & the best & biggest chunks of nuts, fruits, candies & cookies. It wasn�t long before the lines for ice cream stretched out the door, & that was only the beginning. You see, Ben & Jerry wanted to run a business that would share its rewards with its employees & with the community.