North Country Economy News | October 2026 | | New Chapter. Same Committment to Our Communities. | | You may have heard the news already, but in case you haven't... We are thrilled to introduce you to our new Executive Director, Emily Nobel Maxwell! | | |
Emily is an exceptional leader who brings 25 years of experience building partnerships, leading nonprofit initiatives and translating community priorities into lasting results. She is strategic, community-centered and justice-driven.
As our team celebrates recent successes and continues to advance goals set out in our 2026-28 strategic plan, we are so glad to have Emily at the helm. This is a pivotal time for ANCA, our partners, and the people we serve.
We are excited for you to meet Emily soon!
| | | Coming Together in Community | | We are deeply grateful to all who came out to attend and support our mission at recent events. Your engagement in our work and with our community makes a real difference. | |
Bike the Barns
Over 250 riders, supporters and community members participated in our 9th Bike the Barns on September 26 in Westport. The ride highlighted working agricultural landscapes and rural communities of New York's Champlain Valley, including stops at Juniper Hill Farm in Wadhams and the Whallonsburg Grange in Essex.
Many thanks to the Essex County Fairgrounds, Juniper Hill, the Grange, Whitcomb's Arts, ADK Food Therapy, Ausable Brewing Co., the Midnight Stargazers, our generous sponsors, Ithaca College volunteers, Doug and his BikeADK crew, and all who made this year's event so fun and enriching.
We look forward to welcoming you again next year for ANCA's 10th Bike the Barns!
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ADI Symposium
One week later in Blue Mountain Lake, more than 50 compassionate, action-oriented leaders gathered in community for the 2026 Adirondack Diversity Initiative Symposium to discuss some of the most challenging issues of our day — with honesty, care, and hope for a shared future we are building together.
Thank you to all of the panelists and presenters who shared their time and insights during the two-day symposium. Thanks to the Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts for sharing their special gathering place and to the dedicated sponsors whose support makes important conversations like these possible.
Learn about other ways to engage with ADI at diversityadk.org.
Photo by Nancie Battaglia
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Blog: Battery Storage 101
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are a controversial topic in many North Country communities. While there are good reasons for public concern, there are also misunderstandings about BESS, their benefits and risks.
In this month's What's Up North Blog, ANCA Climate Justice Fellow Hadar Pepperstone shares what she has learned about energy needs in the North Country and the important role that battery storage plays in meeting those needs and our clean energy goals.
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Join Our Clean Energy Team!
The North Country Clean Energy Hub is hiring for two hybrid positions based in Saranac Lake. These roles offer an opportunity to help residents, businesses, and nonprofits navigate New York’s clean energy landscape.
The Energy Advisor is employed through Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County and focuses on promoting energy literacy and providing guidance on energy efficiency programs.
ANCA's Technical Energy Advisor works with multifamily properties, small businesses, and nonprofits across seven North Country counties to support the adoption of clean energy technologies and access available incentives.
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HEAP Opens November 2
New York's Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) can help eligible New Yorkers heat and cool their homes. If you are eligible, you may receive one regular HEAP benefit per program year and could also be eligible for emergency HEAP benefits if you are at risk of running out of fuel or having your utility service shut off.
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Community Partner Stipends Available
The North Country Clean Energy Hub has just launched a $5,000 Community Partner Stipend to organizations across the 7-county North Country region who serve low- to moderate-income individuals (like Emmanuel Congregational Church in Watertown, pictured). The stipend is designed to support organizations interested in partnering with the Hub to help residents improve home energy efficiency, safety and comfort while also advancing their organization's goals.
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Stay Warm Webinar Series
Want to stay comfortable, save energy, and stabilize your heating costs this winter? Join North Country Clean Energy Hub Energy Navigators for our free Stay Warm: A Home Heating Series to learn practical tips to improve your home's energy efficiency and prepare for the winter season.
The first webinar, "Prepping for the Heating Season," will take place virtually Thursday, November 12, noon to 1:00 p.m.
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Ben Wever Farm Honored
Congratulations to the Gillilland Family and Ben Wever Farm in Willsboro, NY for being honored with the 2026 New York AEM (Agricultural Environmental Management) Leopold Conservation Award for their land and water conservation efforts.
ANCA is glad to have supported some of this team's work over the years, including their impressive on-farm composting operation and biochar education efforts.
Watch and read about Ben Wever Farm and the work they've been doing to earn this prestigious award.
| | Photo courtesy of Ben Wever Farm | | | |
High Peaks Market and Park-It
The Saranac Lake Farmers' Market has moved indoors for the winter season, and organizers have launched a new Park-It ordering platform to make shopping and pickup even easier!
Stop by the Hotel Saranac lobby to shop Saturdays from October through December. Online shoppers can also purchase local food and products from multiple vendors with one checkout. Place your orders online for pick up outside the hotel on market day, October through May.
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Market to Meals
Over the course of 12 weeks this summer, ANCA's inaugural Market to Meals program supplied the First United Methodist Church’s community dinner with fresh food from the Saranac Lake farmers market. This program, supported a Glenn and Carol Pearsall Adirondack Foundation grant, was implemented at a critical time marked by significant increases in food and fuel prices. The number of attendees at the community dinner also increased over the summer, averaging around 185 people per week.
In addition, the program provided $100 to $300 per week to local vendors for unsold products at the end of each market and engaged volunteers through our Compost Catalyst Program.
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Smashing Pumpkins in Plattsburgh
The City of Plattsburgh’s Climate Smart Communities Task Force invites you to give new life to your pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns by smashing them — with mallets, sling shots, bowling pins and more. Smashed pumpkins will be hauled away by River Valley Regeneratives, transformed into compost, and ultimately returned to local farms and gardens.
The Pumpkin Smash is part of the City's launch of their free food scrap collection program. Light refreshments and free countertop compost buckets will be provided.
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Ag Service Provider Gatherings
Building off our first gathering in 2025 in Tupper Lake, ANCA and our Compost for Good team are partnering with the Adirondack Food System Network, Lake Champlain Basin Program, and the NY Farm Bureau to convene agriculture service providers throughout the North Country. This year, we are hosting three conversations in Washington, Clinton and Lewis Counties.
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Monday, November 2 at CCE Washington County in Argyle, NY
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Tuesday, November 10 at the Miner Institute in Chazy, NY
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Friday, November 20 at CCE Lewis County in Lowville, NY
Attendees are also invited to participate in a site tour before each gathering. We encourage all organizations working to uplift our farmers to attend and share.
| | Small Business Opportunities | |
Campus to Community: Students Explore Rural Entrepreneurship
This fall, we welcomed Ithaca College and Syracuse University student groups back for Center for Businesses in Transition Familiarization Tours. The students visited and learned from North Country businesses that are preparing for an ownership transition or are under new ownership. Students also visited other local businesses and cultural attractions to gain a better understanding of what rural small business ownership and livelihoods can look like.
| | Big thanks to Ithaca College students and faculty for volunteering at our annual Bike the Barns this year. These Entertainment & Media students get a behind-the-scenes look at event production and all of the small details and last-minute decisions that go into a successful event. | | Photos: Among other businesses, Syracuse University students visited 1) Adirondack Fragrance Farm in Potsdam and 2) ADK Food Hub in Tupper Lake. 3) Ithaca College volunteers at the Whallonsburg Grange during Bike the Barns. | |
Winter Small Business Webinar Series Kicks Off in November
ANCA's Small Business Team is excited to share our winter virtual program offerings for small businesses. We hope you’ll join us for multi-part webinars on topics including E-commerce, Product Development, Brand Building and Generative AI for Businesses. Registration is open for the first webinar series, which will take place on Zoom.
E-Commerce for Businesses:
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Session 1: Is E-Commerce Right for You?: Tues., November 17, 12-1:30 p.m.
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Session 2: Making Your E-Commerce Work for You: Tues., December 1, 12-1:30 p.m.
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Welcoming Makers and Retailers
Are you a maker who would like a gentle on-ramp to try out wholesaling at a small scale, or are you already wholesaling and want more opportunities to meet local and regional retailers? Share your interest below!
Are you a retailer looking for unique local gifts for your shop? Register for free below!
Join us for ANCA's annual Adirondack Buyer Days trade show, where retail buyers connect with local makers of handmade gifts (like Abby Kirkman Quilts, pictured at the 2026 show).
| | Adirondack Diversity Initiative | | |
Thank you again to all who gathered with us for our 2026 ADI Symposium — Rooted & Rising: Rights, Resilience, and the Future. Whether you joined us for one day or both, sat in the front row or slipped in quietly, asked a hard question or held space for someone else's — you were an important part of what made this gathering so powerful.
We came together to talk about some of the most challenging things happening in our communities and our country right now. And we did it with honesty, with care, and with the kind of hope that doesn't look away from the hard stuff.
We are grateful for every person who showed up.
Stay engaged in ADI's work including our Emerging Stewards Initiative, Community Policing Initiative, and Sustaining BIPOC Leadership Initiative by visiting our website.
| | Photo by Nancie Battaglia: ADI Director Tiffany Rea-Fisher (left) and Native Sovereignty session panelists | | ICYMI: News from Around the Region | | |
Visit our jobs page for openings with member and partner organizations and regional nonprofits:
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Executive Director: LivingADK
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Director of Development: Tannery Pond Center
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Executive Assistant/ Education Administrator: Glens Falls Symphony
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Grant Writer: Elizabethtown Social Center
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Executive Director: Cornell Cooperative Extension Franklin County
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Executive Director: Tupper Arts
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 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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