North Country Economy News | March 2026 | | Cultivating a Craft Economy | | |
Forty years ago, ANCA hosted its first Adirondack Buyer Days wholesale gift show. At the time, it was one among several programs ANCA supported to help local makers reach new markets, expand their wholesaling and marketing skills, and enrich their local economies.
This month's What's Up North Blog takes a look at some of the archives from the 1980s, where typewritten newsletters and board meeting minutes reveal the beginnings of ANCA's signature trade show as well as the our leaders' commitment to empowering North Country artisan entrepreneurs.
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Be a Part of the Tradition
Retail buyers are invited to be a part of the Adirondack Buyer Days legacy next Monday and Tuesday and support local maker micro- and small businesses.
Sign up now to attend this curated, juried trade show, featuring a variety of high-quality gifts for your shop!
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What: Adirondack Buyer Days
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When: March 23 and 24, 2026
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Where: Saratoga City Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
Pictured products by The Forest Deep Candle Co., The Family Cow Soaps, Roosevelt Grooming Co., Argyle Cheese Farmer, Meliora Forever, AMF Creations, North Woods Animal Treats, Third Wolf Designs, Northern Routes, Salvage Sistas, The Spicy Shark, Abby Kirkman Quilts
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Thank You!
Sponsor support helps make this show accessible, welcoming and rewarding for creative entrepreneurs with different levels of marketing and wholesaling experience. Thank you to the following sponsors for helping us provide this opportunity for makers and buyers alike:
- Mohawk Valley Trading Co.
- Adsit Media Works
- New York SBDC
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Entrepreneur Roundtable Continues in May
Thank you to all the small business owners and staff who attended one or more of our winter Entrepreneur Roundtable virtual sessions. This series provided a welcoming space for members of the North Country business community to network, share ideas, ask questions, and feel connected. In response to positive feedback from participants, ANCA's Small Business Program team will convene the Roundtable again starting in May. Dates and registration coming soon.
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Climate & Energy Conference
ANCA's 2026 Climate & Energy Conference in Lake Placid will bring together leaders, innovators, and community advocates to explore current climate and energy issues. We hope to see you there!
*Financial assistance available
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Atlas Hoofed It Farm Tour
The conference will feature interactive panels, field trips, collaborative workshops, and networking opportunities.
Our Thursday field trip will take place at Atlas Hoofed It Farm in Vermontville, where we'll explore the diversified livestock farm and learn about innovative potential projects owners Sara and Dan Burke are planning, like using groundwater within the decommissioned missile silo on their property for a geothermal heating and cooling system and a pump storage system utilizing the groundwater in the old silo.
This will be a fascinating tour you will not want to miss!
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Thank You to Our Conference Sponsors and Community Partners!
Thank you to the Conference Sponsors and Community Partners who make these important conversations and connections possible. Special shout out to LOCALadk Magazine, New York Bus Sales and NY Power Authority for their support of this event.
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, view the conference sponsor prospectus or contact us at events@adirondack.org.
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Town of Harrietstown Gets Climate Smart
Congratulations to the Town of Harrietstown, which has officially registered as a Climate Smart Community, with technical assistance from ANCA Climate Smart Community (CSC) Coordinator Carlie Leary. In the coming months, the Town will adopt a resolution establishing a CSC Coordinator position and appointing someone to serve in that role. Harrietstown also plans to form a CSC task force, inviting volunteers to help advance local climate action and strengthen the community’s long‑term safety and resilience.
| | Adirondack Diversity Initiative | |
Celebrating Black Birders Week
Join the Adirondack Diversity Initiative and John Brown Lives! for our second annual local celebration of National Black Birders Week!
In partnership with NYS Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, we are excited to host a special day of birding at John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
Later that evening, ADI and JBL! are thrilled to welcome renowned conservation ornithologist and author Dr. J. Drew Lanham (pictured) for a community conversation at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake.
| | | Save the date, learn more, and register below for these two local Black Birders Week events: | | | |
Alternative Spring Break
ADI's Alternative Spring Break was held at Camp Dudley on March 6-9, welcoming students from SUNY Potsdam for an immersive, nature-based experience.
Participants engaged in activities designed to strengthen leadership skills, expand comfort zones, deepen friendships, and cultivate a strong sense of community. Rooted in ADI's commitment to accessibility, this program works to eliminate barriers to nature and develop the next generation of regional stewards.
Building on several successful experiences since the program launched in Spring 2020, ADI will expand access to this opportunity with a new Alternative Fall Break in October!
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Teaching Resources for Educators
ADI has developed a new Teaching Resources webpage for educators, parents, and guardians. This curated collection is designed to bring more complete, truthful narratives into learning environments. Education is most powerful when it reflects the full diversity of human experience. For too long, dominant narratives have shaped what gets taught, whose stories are told, and whose humanity is affirmed in our classrooms. By intentionally centering the voices of marginalized communities such as workers, women, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, and the poor, we don't simply diversify the curriculum; we restore truth to it.
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Conference on the Adirondacks Looks to the Future
Join partners at the Adirondack Research Consortium for the 30th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks, titled “Key Issues Shaping the Adirondack Future.” This year’s program tackles some of the region’s most significant issues — from the expansion of mass timber and new energy technologies to wildlife impacts, water quality challenges, and partnerships with Indigenous communities. ADI Director Tiffany Rea-Fisher will present on April 15 about "Equity, Belonging & the Land We Share."
Connect with Tiffany and other ANCA staff on April 15 and 16 at High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid for these important conversations. Learn more and register here.
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Accepting Ag Producer Grant Proposals
ANCA is now accepting applications for our new grant program for agricultural producers! Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to projects that will create and expand markets for agricultural products, improve supply chains, increase access to market infrastructure, and promote long-term economic sustainability for farm businesses.
On Thursday, March 26 at 5:00 p.m., ANCA staff will host an informational webinar about the program. Learn more about this USDA-supported initiative, eligibility requirements, program timeline, the webinar meeting link, RFP, and more on the ANCA website.
Applications are due on April 8.
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Build Healthy Soils with Biochar
Join Compost for Good and partners for an on-farm workshop about biochar and how you can integrate it into your composting and soil-building practices. This in-person workshop will provide soil health and nutrition education, hands-on demonstration, and peer-to-peer connections.
What: On-farm Biochar Workshop
When: Sunday, March 29, 11:30 a.m to 5:00 p.m.
Where: Driscoll Family Farm in Saranac, NY
Cost: FREE!
| | | This workshop is co-hosted by Driscoll Family Farm, River Valley Regeneratives LLC, Compost for Good (CfG), and Biochar Coalition and made possible through USDA's Northeast SARE program. Stay tuned for more learning opportunities with ANCA's CfG team and partners! | |
New Season. New Look!
The Saranac Lake Farmers’ Market returns for the season on May 16 with a full slate of local food and craft vendors. Residents and visitors alike can shop a wide variety of local products each week.
This season, we are excited to launch a new look and logo on our refreshed and revamped High Peaks Farmers Market website.
Join us for Customer Appreciation Day in May and
free Kids Club events each month at the Saranac Lake market.
The Lake Placid market is accepting vendor applications until April 1, with the first market of the season on July 1 at the Olympic Oval.
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Spreading the Word. Composting for Good.
ANCA’s Compost for Good team is partnering with Clarkson University for a fifth year to offer support for composting operators and small businesses that collect food waste for composting. This year we will train a network of compost stewards across the region to help spread the word about the value of reducing food waste and increasing compost use.
Interested in learning more or serving as a compost steward? Contact ANCA Organics Recycling Coordinator Jennifer Perry at jperry@adirondack.org.
| | ICYMI: News from Around the Region | | |
Visit our jobs page for openings with member and partner organizations and regional nonprofits:
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4H & Local Food Educator: Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Essex County
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Multiple Positions: Adirondack Experience (ADKX)
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Community Compost Coordinator: Pitney Meadows Community Farm
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Visitor Services Specialist: Historic Saranac Lake
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Business Manager: SUNY ESF Newcomb Campus
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Data & Billing Representative: Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce
Have an opening you want to promote? Send a web link to jobs@adirondack.org.
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Build Shared Prosperity for All
ANCA members and donors are building shared prosperity across northern New York by supporting programs that strengthen small businesses, local food systems, climate & energy initiatives, and welcoming & belonging. Thank you for powering this important work.
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