Annual Meeting Celebrations

On June 12, members of the ANCA community convened for our 2026 Annual Meeting at Emmanuel Congregational Church in Watertown. We were thrilled to share how ANCA-supported projects are helping businesses and communities provide safe, comfortable and welcoming spaces, while reducing costs, supporting long-term viability, and empowering people with skills, resources, and networks to help them thrive.

Special thanks to this year's Annual Meeting Award recipients: Emmanuel Congregational Church (accepted by Community Meals Coordinator Stephanie Russell, pictured) and Bob and Gabi Owens of G.R.O. Energy Solutions (pictured with ANCA's Erin Griffin). Thanks also to our ANCA members, including our Prosperity-building Members — Community Bank, National Grid and NYSEG — whose support makes gatherings like this possible.

For more photos from the event, check out our photo album. To learn more about our focus for the meeting — our vision for "A North Country for All" — read the latest What's Up North blog by Deputy Director Zach Hobbs.

Elizabeth Cooper Begins New Chapter

After five influential years as ANCA's executive director, Elizabeth Cooper will be stepping down from her role in July to begin a new chapter leading a nonprofit based closer to her home and family in the Capital Region.

We are tremendously grateful to Elizabeth for her dedication to the organization, our team, and the people, businesses and communities we serve.

As the ANCA Board of Directors begins its search for our next leader (learn more), we invite you to celebrate Elizabeth and wish her well in her next endeavor. We hope you'll join us for a send-off gathering next week:

Celebrating Black Birders: New Poem, Video & Radio Story

Thank you to all who joined us on May 30 for local Black Birders' Week celebrations, where we welcomed esteemed ornithologist and author Dr. J. Drew Lanham (pictured with ADI Director Tiffany Rea-Fisher).

After his visit with us at John Brown Farm in Lake Placid and The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, Dr. Lanham released a new poem, “For the Love of a Hater: Why I Celebrate the Life of John Brown.” Read it here.

Juneteenth and Local Black Histories

This month we celebrated Juneteenth, which commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to deliver long-overdue news that enslaved people were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

The Adirondacks hold a part of the freedom story that is rarely told. This region was home to Timbuctoo, a community of free Black settlers established in the 1840s by abolitionist Gerrit Smith, who gifted land to hundreds of Black families as an act of resistance to slavery. Abolitionist John Brown, who lived and is buried in North Elba, was deeply connected to the Black community and their struggle for freedom. Northbound freedom seekers passed through the mountains, with Harriet Tubman herself traveling through the region.

Small Business. Small Town. Big Award!

Last month, ANCA joined community members, partners from across New York, family, and friends in Moira to celebrate Martin’s Pretzel Bakery and fourth-generation owner Josiah Martin, recipient of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2026 National Small Business Manufacturer of the Year Award.

The company's success reflects Josiah’s vision, hard work, and resilience. After taking over the family business in 2019 with support from ANCA's Center for Businesses in Transition partners, Martin’s has overcome adversity, adapted, and grown as a business leader in our region. We look forward to watching Martin's Pretzels continue to innovate and grow in the years ahead!

Improve Efficiency, Affordability With Our Energy Upgrade Initiative

Do you operate a North Country business or nonprofit looking to implement energy projects that improve safety, comfort and affordability? Learn more about ANCA's new Small Business Energy Upgrade Initiative. Your small business or nonprofit may be eligible to receive funds toward cost-saving measures through this initiative, supported by the National Grid Foundation.

Complete the interest form to get scheduled for a consultation about your project.

Bridge Loans for Grant-funded Projects

ANCA's new Bridge Loan Program provides cash flow for grant funded projects that require grantees to spend money before receiving the grant funds.This allows small farms and businesses to start their grant-funded project sooner, cover upfront costs while waiting for reimbursement, and access quick, flexible financing.

Photo: In 2024, ANCA connected Mace Chasm Farm with a flexible loan to expand their tree nursery operation in Keeseville.

Connect With Other Entrepreneurs This Summer

Want to connect with other entrepreneurs this summer? Join members of the local business community in a welcoming space where you can network, share ideas, ask questions, and feel connected — at ANCA's monthly virtual Entrepreneur Roundtable sessions:

• What: Virtual Entrepreneur Roundtable
• When: First Tuesday of each month (July 7, August 4, September 1)
• Where: Virtual via Zoom

High Peaks Farmers Market Updates

The Lake Placid Market begins Wednesday, July 1 at the Olympic Oval! This year's market will feature 20 vendors offering fresh produce, local meats, baked goods, handcrafted goods, and more.

The Saranac Lake Market continues each Saturday with special events and opportunities to engage with community groups throughout the summer.

Be a Catalyst in Your Community

Want to make a difference in your community by helping reduce the amount of food that ends up in landfills?

Clarkson University and ANCA’s Compost for Good team are seeking individuals to join a network of community members working on customized food waste reduction and composting projects throughout the North Country. Learn more and sign up to be part of our Community Compost Catalyst program!

Photo: food scrap collection at The Cook Farm in Owls Head

Proud to Support Small Farm Projects

ANCA's federally-supported 2026 grant program for North Country producers is wrapping up soon, as we distribute project funds to small farms across the region. These stats are testament to the big impact small investments can have for local farms and businesses:

• 41 small farms supported
• 13 of 14 counties in ANCA's service area served
• $9,355 average grant award
• $390,683 total funds dispersed

Stay tuned for information and stories of recipient farms and their funded projects!

More (and More) Compost Connections

As ANCA Organics Recycling Coordinator Jen Perry mentioned at our Annual Meeting in Watertown, her Compost for Good team receives inquiries nearly every day from community leaders looking to reduce food waste and produce beneficial compost for their communities.

Spotted after the meeting: Jen connected with Ray from Emmanuel Church about improving food scrap collection and composting efforts for their community garden.

Learn more about CfG workshops, projects and opportunties.

We're Hiring!

ANCA and our North Country Clean Energy Hub partners at Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) are seeking applicants for a community-based outreach position that serves Clinton and Essex Counties.

This Energy Advisor will work with the Hub team to promote and deliver energy literacy and educational awareness services in local communities. Plus, the Energy Advisor will work one day per week at ANCA's office in Saranac Lake! Learn more & apply by July 6.

Seeking Volunteer Energy Navigators!

The Hub will offer free trainings for Jefferson County area residents interested in becoming volunteer Energy Navigators. These community volunteers empower friends, neighbors, and residents to reduce energy use and costs.

CCE will host ten two‑hour sessions in Watertown from September 8 to October 30. Register by August 11.

Questions? Contact Nick Hamilton-Honey at nh327@cornell.edu or 315.379.9192 ext. 230. 

Farewell & Best Wishes

In May, we bid farewell to Carlie Leary, a dedicated team member who served as ANCA's Climate Smart Communities Coordinator for over three years. We're grateful for Carlie's service to ANCA and the communities she supported during her time here. Best wishes to her in her new position as Sustainability Coordinator at SUNY Plattsburgh!

Summer Research Fellowship

We are thrilled to welcome Ethan Boecher as a 2026 ANCA Research Fellow. Ethan is a Cornell University student studying Applied Economics & Management and engaged in the Dyson Grand Challenges Impact Internship program. Ethan is working with ANCA's Small Business team this summer to strengthen and advance our CBIT program. Welcome Ethan!

Visit our jobs page for openings with member and partner organizations and regional nonprofits:

• Program Director: Adirondack Center for Writing
• Administrative & Campaign Associate: The Wild Center
• Cooperative Development Field Director: Democracy at Work Institute
• Cooperative Housing Specialist: Cooperative Development Institute

Have an opening you want to promote? Send a web link to jobs@adirondack.org.