New Economy News | May 2022 | |
Celebrating local food & farms | |
SOIL Loan Fund for farmers & food producers
ANCA is pleased to offer our new SOIL Loan Fund — a collaborative effort with Foodshed Capital to provide flexible, zero-interest loans to North Country farmers and food producers who have difficulty accessing financing through conventional lending institutions.
Read more in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
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Price goes up on June 1st. Sign up now for Bike the Barns!
The North Country is humming with activity as local farms, grocers and restaurants gear up for a bountiful season of delicious local food.
We look forward to celebrating some of the people and places that make our local food scene so vibrant at this year's Bike the Barns. Save your spot for this unique farm-by-bike experience:
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What: Bike the Barns
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When: Saturday, October 8, 2022
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Where: Champlain Valley, NY
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Start/finish: The Hub on the Hill, Essex, NY
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Cost: $75*
* Registration costs go up $10 on June 1, so sign up now!
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Farmers' market season is here!
This month marks the beginning of many of our region's farmers' markets. Check out Adirondack Harvest's great list of markets and plan your local food tour of the Adirondack North Country.
ANCA is thrilled to be the new host of the High Peaks Farmers' Markets, which gathers every Wednesday in Lake Placid and every Saturday in Saranac Lake. Celebrate local food and community at a farmers' market near you!
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New member spotlight: NYSEG | | |
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ANCA is pleased to welcome NYSEG, an AVANGRID company, as a corporate member. NYSEG is committed to the wellbeing of the communities they serve — providing reliable service; investing in innovative technologies to make the electric grid more resilient; and delivering a more accessible clean energy model that promotes healthier, more sustainable communities. | |
ANCA’s clean energy team works closely with NYSEG to help North Country communities make cost-saving improvements that help businesses and families thrive. Together, we are helping the North Country meet New York’s clean energy goals. | |
Ribbon cutting in Silver Bay
Congratulations to the new owners of Silver Bay General Store, Paul and Joann Budd! And thanks to all who celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Budds, the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce, ANCA and ANCA's Center for Businesses in Transition.
Learn more about this successful business transition in this new video feature.
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Photo: Alicia and Joe Vilardo successfully purchased the Circle Court Motel in Ticonderoga with the support of the Center for Businesses in Transition partnership. | |
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Make your dreams of business ownership come true
Do you dream of owning a small business, but find the idea of starting from scratch daunting? You can make your dream come true by purchasing an existing business.
Join the Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) partnership for a FREE three-part virtual training that will get you up to speed on the small business buying process and current business transition environment.
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Session 1: May 31, 5:30 to 7 pm or June 1, 7:30 to 9 am
Session 2: June 14, 5:30 to 7 pm or June 15, 7:30 to 9 am
Session 3: June 28, 5:30 to 7 pm or June 29, 7:30 to 9 am
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Featured business for sale: Lafave Automotive
A turn-key automotive repair shop located in Philadelphia, NY, Lafave Automotive is a profitable and well established business with an excellent and loyal customer base.
Learn more about this and other businesses for sale on CBIT's Featured Businesses page.
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Adirondack Diversity Initiative | |
Adirondacks for All virtual series
A new summer virtual series, “Adirondacks for All: Identity & Environmental Justice in the North Country” will examine the intersections between racial and environmental justice.
Through discussions with a diverse group of local activists, archaeologists, teachers, land stewards, and others, this series will explore experiences of inequity and oppression in the Adirondacks and ways those realities connect with issues of preservation, pollution, and access to land, water, and nature.
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Photo courtesy of Great Camp Sagamore | |
Growing cultural consciousness
We are happy to welcome Great Camp Sagamore and NOLS Northeast for ADI’s upcoming Cultural Consciousness Training Program.
This program uses a cognitive-behavioral approach to deepen understanding of culture, socialization, race and racism so that participants can become aware of why and how they think and act in certain ways, and then effect positive behavioral changes.
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Climate Smart Communities
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting applications for Round 6 of its Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Grant Program.
The program provides competitive 50/50 matching grants to municipalities to conduct climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, including actions that help communities achieve CSC certification.
Up to $12 million is available for grants between $50,000 and $2 million for projects that help communities:
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NYS communities participating in the CSC Program | |
- Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT)
- Reduce food waste
- Reduce hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions from refrigeration and other equipment
- Increase natural resiliency wetland and floodplain management
- Reduce future flood-risk
- Prepare for extreme weather events
An additional $2 million of funding is available for grants between $10,000 and $200,000 for projects that help municipalities earn CSC certification.
Grant applications are due by July 29, 2022. Contact ANCA's newest Energy Circuit Rider, Erin Griffin, at egriffin@adirondack.org for more information.
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Funding to support municipal-led food scraps collection
The NYSDEC's Division of Materials Management has funds available to help municipalities create or expand programs and facilities for residential food scraps recycling.
Diverting food scraps from landfills reduces greenhouse gas emissions, while providing compost or other repurposed uses. Food scrap diversion is also one way municipalities can advance their Climate Smart Communities certification process.
To learn more about this and other municipal composting opportunities, contact ANCA's Jennifer Perry, a member of AdkAction's Compost for Good Team, at jperry@adirondack.org.
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North Country School/ Camp Treetops in Lake Placid students prepare food scraps for the school's large-scale drum composter. | |
Join over 100 businesses benefiting from ANCA CPR
More than 100 businesses and nonprofits have started their enrollment in ANCA CPR. As an ANCA CPR enrollee, they will receive:
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Connection with an ANCA CPR Program Navigator, a professional who will learn about your business or organization and support your short- and long-term goals;
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Access to free and low-cost services including strategic planning, digital marketing training, and employee training and development;
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Updates on business services, events, and funding opportunities offered by ANCA, our regional partners, the state and federal government, and trusted organizations beyond the North Country.
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Scott Hayden, Executive Director of the Adirondack Folk School, said: “It’s so important we keep our small businesses, whether it’s a restaurant or a cultural organization. We appreciate ANCA’s forward thinking in strengthening what makes our region special.”
Read more in our recent What's Up North blog, and join the Adirondack Folk School and other businesses and organizations by starting the ANCA CPR enrollment process today.
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Generous Acts grants support three ANCA programs
We are deeply grateful for three recent grants from Adirondack Foundation’s Generous Acts Program. These funds support our collaborative work with food producers, small businesses, and emerging BIPOC stewards. Funded projects include:
- The SOIL Loan Fund
- Future Stewards of the Adirondacks (Adirondack Diversity Initiative)
- Technical Assistance for Businesses Transitioning to New Ownership (ANCA Center for Businesses in Transition)
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ANCA welcomes new board & staff members
ANCA's staff and board continues to grow as we work to develop and implement initiatives that benefit North Country residents, visitors, businesses and communities.
We are thrilled to welcome the two new board members, who each bring experience in sustainable energy and community relations to our work:
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Sarah Boggess: Vice President of External Affairs, ReEnergy Holdings LLC
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Troy Trombley: Program Manager, NYSEG
We have also welcomed four new staff in recent weeks:
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Caitlin Botcher: Market Manager
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Erin Griffin: Energy Circuit Rider/ Climate Smart Communities Coordinator
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Sean Jackson: Clean Energy Fellow
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Ryan Novak: ANCA CPR Food Systems Fellow
We also want to thank Adirondack Diversity Initiative Intern Matthew Brady for his dedication and hard work this year.
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Seeking summer communications fellow
ANCA is seeking a Communications Fellow to support efforts that engage and educate our community about our vision, programs and available resources. This is a flexible part-time position projected to run from early June to late August 2022.
Please help spread the word!
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Vermont Employee Ownership Conference
Join ANCA's entrepreneurial program team at this annual one-day conference. Contact transitions@adirondack.org for a discount code.
When: Thursday, June 9, 2022
Where: University of Vermont, Burlington
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ANCA Annual Meeting
Help us envision a prosperous and resilient future for North County businesses and communities.
When: Friday, September 19, 2022
Where: TBD
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ICYMI: here's what we're reading | | |
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Check out our jobs page for openings with member and partner organizations and regional nonprofits:
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Multiple positions: Eagle Island Camp
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Director of Communications and Development: NY Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF)
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Summer positions: Adirondack Watershed Institute
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 are growing the region's New Economy by building strong, resilient and equitable systems for local food, clean energy and small businesses. Become an ANCA member today.
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