New Economy News | June 2025 | | Summer is Here, and We're Excited! | | Summer has arrived in the Adirondack North Country, and we couldn't be more excited. ANCA has a lot going on as we fine-tune our next strategic plan, welcome guests to our annual meeting, participate in community events, and continue our work with businesses, farms and communities across the region. We hope you're excited too! | | | |
Our Annual Meeting is Next Month!
On July 25, ANCA staff, board, friends and partners will gather in North Creek to celebrate the past year's accomplishments, recognize community leaders, and unveil a first draft of our next strategic plan.
You'll hear stories and updates from ANCA’s leadership and our program areas, and have the opportunity to provide feedback on our strategic goals for the next three years.
After the meeting, grab lunch in North Creek and explore the surrounding area, its trails, waterfalls, river adventures, and more. We hope you'll join us!
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What: ANCA Annual Meeting
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When: Friday, July 25, 2025
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Where: Tannery Pond Center, North Creek, New York
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Cost: $10 for ANCA Members, $40 for non-members*
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Not a member? Join today!
| | *ANCA is committed to advancing equity and inclusion in the region and making our programs accessible for all. Please note alternative fee payment options during the registration process. | | Your Membership Makes a Difference | | |
At last year's Annual Meeting, Ann Armstrong from Northern Lights School spoke of the challenges the Saranac Lake childcare center faced trying to secure funding for critical upgrades to their school building. Just a few days later, school leaders learned they were awarded a $320,000 state grant to fund their project!
Throughout the process, ANCA staff provided grant navigation assistance, clean energy expertise, and connections with local contractors to install a new geothermal heating and cooling system, insulate the building, and replace its roof.
ANCA works directly with businesses and organizations to help them improve energy efficiency, sustain local jobs, and retain services in our communities for generations to come.
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Join Our Clean Energy Team
ANCA is currently seeking applicants for two clean energy positions. Spread the word!
Our Technical Energy Advisor, in collaboration with the ANCA and North Country Clean Energy Hub teams, will assist multifamily properties, small businesses, and nonprofits with accessing clean energy technologies.
Our Clean Energy Intern will support ANCA’s Climate Smart Communities team by assisting with municipal greenhouse gas inventories, outreach and events, and other climate-related activities.
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SUN Day Wool Seeks Fiber Artists
Our parters at Paul Smiths College's Adirondack Watershed Institute and Third Act Upstate New York are helping build a fiber art and data piece to celebrate and accelerate the path toward a shared clean energy future.
They are seeking artists to create one or more fiber artworks over the summer. Many pieces will form a collective SUN Day Wool design to be displayed on fall equinox weekend and beyond. Submissions are due by August 20.
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Community Grants Support Upgrades
In the Town of Essex, a Clean Energy Communities Program grant is making a big impact in the small town's highway garage. Pictured, Town personnel remove old batting insulation from the garage ceiling in preparation for R-49 spray foam insulation. The insulation upgrades will save the community money on energy bills while helping keep the building's temperatures consistent and comfortable.
ANCA has helped communities like Essex complete "high impact actions" and access grant funding through NYSERDA's CEC Program since 2016.
| | Small Business Opportunities | | |
From our partners in the Northeast Transition Initiative (NETI), another inspiring story of a small business that successfully transitioned to employee ownership. Learn how the team at A Yard and a Half Landscaping utilized their strong can-do culture and passion for their work to overcome challenges that come with ownership transitions. Today, these worker-owners feel confident about speaking up and making decisions together.
Watch the video, produced in coordination with the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast:
| | NETI a partnership of nonprofit transition advisors and community development lenders who share the goal of supporting small business owners in planning their exit strategy and raising awareness of employee ownership. ANCA, home of the Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT), is a proud partner of NETI. | |
Speaking of Ownership Transitions...
ANCA's Center for Businesses in Transition and our team of community liaisons and partners across the Adirondack North County are eager to support the succession planning needs of our region's businesses.
Learn more about the resources CBIT provides, as well as businesses currently for sale (like The Caboose in Inlet, NY) on our website.
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Speaking of Cooperative Ownership...
Our friends Dan and Kimmy at Triple Green Jade Farm in Willsboro are planning ahead for the long-term sustainability of their farm, their land, and the future of our region's food system. Their vision for a farm and housing cooperative is truly innovative, with a focus on equity, access and continuity.
Their story was featured on NCPR's Story of the Day.
| | | Adirondack Diversity Initiative | | | |
Celebrating Black Birders
"Representation plays a powerful role in attracting people of color to outdoor activities like birding.
'I’m not sure that there’s a name for it. That unspoken energy that you get when you see someone that looks like you open those doors to say, ‘Come on in. You can do it too.’” ~ ADI's Tamara Jolly (pictured)
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Despite rain and cool temperatures, dozens of community members gathered at John Brown Farm on May 31 to share their passion for birds and their life experiences as Black birders.
Listen in to North Country Public Radio's coverage of the inaugural Black Birders Week celebration in Lake Placid, hosted by the Adirondack Diversity Initiative and John Brown Lives!
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Celebrate Pride This Weekend
June is Pride Month, and communities across the region are celebrating. Join the Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance and partners, including the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, for the fourth annual Tri-Lakes Pride event:
| | | Join the LGBTQI+ community, family, friends and allies to promote diversity, acceptance, respect and unity. The event features a parade, vendors, raffles, speakers, music and more. | | | |
Creating Welcoming Spaces
ADI's Welcoming & Belonging Micro-credential program offers local businesses, chambers of commerce, and community groups essential knowledge and best practices for creating welcoming spaces for all staff and clientele. This online, asynchronous course provides a range of content and activities aimed at cultivating a sense of belonging in the workplace.
Learn more about course objectives, goals, modules, schedule and more on the ANCA website. Enrollment is rolling, so sign up anytime!
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Bike the Barns Farm Stops and Host Venue Announced!
Are you ready to ride? We're excited to announce that ANCA's 8th Bike the Barns will be based at the historic Camp Dudley (pictured), on the shores of Lake Champlain in Westport, NY. Set for Sunday, September 21, this year's ride will include stops at farms and local food venues in the Champlain Valley including Essex Food Hub, DaCy Meadow Farm (pictured), Echo Farm, and Barred Owl Brook Farm.
New this year: we aim to make this a zero-waste event complete with composting opportunities provided by Compost for Good and Camp Dudley. Read more the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
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What: Bike the Barns
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When: Sunday, September 21, 2025
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Where: New York's Champlain Valley
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Start/Finish: Camp Dudley, Westport, NY
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Cost: $114 includes clearly marked route, mechanical support, farm stops and finish line celebration with local food, craft beverages and live music
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Welcome Summer Fellows!
We are so glad to host two Summer Fellows again this year. Please join us in welcoming Colgate University students Alec Lehtman and Leigha Schultze to our summer team!
Alec is helping develop a framework for a regional economic analysis that will support ANCA's work with small businesses.
Leigha is supporting ADI's High Peaks Visitor Use Management research by conducting visitor surveys in the Adirondack High Peaks. This research supports State efforts to better understand experiences and perspectives of underrepresented Park visitors in order to develop more inclusive management practices.
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Staff Members Take on Key Leadership Roles
This month we announced that Zach Hobbs has been named ANCA's inaugural Deputy Director. Zach's strong strategic skills and people-centered approach will be instrumental to the development of ANCA's fundraising, operations and programming in the years ahead.
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We also recognized two ANCA staff who recently rose to leadership roles. Starting last summer, Lauren Richard (center) has served as our Small Business Program Director, and Audrey Schwartzberg was appointed Communications Director.
These three round out a strong leadership team and a dedicated staff. We're excited for ANCA's next chapter as we roll out our new strategic plan later this year. Stay tuned for updates!
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Chamber Honors
Earlier this month, at its Annual Dinner Celebration, the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce awarded ANCA Small Business Program Coordinator Mahala Nyberg (pictured, center) with its Employee Excellence Award. Congrats Mahala, and thank you for all you do to support our region's small businesses!
| | | ICYMI: News from Around the Region | | |
Visit our jobs page for openings with member and partner organizations and regional nonprofits:
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Land Conservation Manager: Champlain Area Trails (CATS)
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Driver: River Valley Regeneratives
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Adirondack Harvest Program Leader: Cornell Cooperative Extension Essex Co.
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Distribution Coordinator: Essex Food Hub
Have an opening you want to promote? Send a web link to jobs@adirondack.org.
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Build a Resilient Regional Economy
ANCA members and donors are growing the region's New Economy by building strong, resilient and equitable systems for local food, clean energy and small businesses. We deeply appreciate your support of this important work.
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