Last month, ANCA staff joined over 150 passionate citizens at the 2nd annual Food Summit to dig into a number of regional food issues and how collaborative efforts can "cultivate action" to address them. 

Learn more about the summit and its takeaways in this month's What's Up North blog by ANCA's Josh Bakelaar and Jake Vennie-Vollrath. 

"Local, fresh food is for everyone." We agree with Carly Summers of Cornell Cooperative Extension. CCE and The Hub on the Hill put their 2018 FarmShare Fund grant to good use by providing local food tastings and cooking demos for Essex County residents. 

The 2019 mini grant program is now accepting applications for grant awards of $250 to $1,500. Farmers, nonprofits, schools, businesses and others working on projects related to local food access and food security the North Country region.

Proposals will be accepted until April 1st.

Photo: Meghan Brooks, Distribution Coordinator for The Hub, and Carly Summers, Ag. Resource Educator for CCE of Essex Co. led a local food cooking demo at the Ecumenical Food Pantry in Lake Placid on Feb. 22.

Shop owners and retail buyers: join us for another amazing assortment of handmade products by over 90 artisan vendors at the 33rd annual Adirondack Buyer Days tradeshow. Registration is FREE for buyers!

What: Adirondack Buyer Days
When: March 25 & 26, 2019 
Where: Saratoga Springs City Center

Every Adirondack Buyer Days show features new products from new and returning artisan vendors. Be inspired by what these local makers have to offer. 

Read recent press coverage about the show and its offerings, including the annual New Product Contest and presentations from the Center for Businesses in Transition partnership. 

And don't forget to register to meet and greet talented artisans from around the Northeast! 

We know you're busy, so we're offering different ways for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to tune in to the Center for Businesses in Transition monthly workshop series: 

- Attend a workshop
- Join a viewing party
- Watch a webinar

The first Center for Businesses in Transition workshop is coming up soon!  

What: Business transitions overview: Where do you start?
When: Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. 
Where: 94 Montcalm Street, Suite 1
Ticonderoga, NY
Host: Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce

Christopher Beebe and his fiance Jennifer Lorenzo have some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to take over an existing business in the North Country: "Practice patience."

The young couple's patience has paid off as they officially take the reigns of The Pines in Malone, NY.

North Creek area residents (pictured) took part in a great discussion at the February 28th public forum about the Central Adirondack Trail Scenic Byway signage project. Thank you for your interest and passion!

ANCA and Adirondack Research are hosting a second meeting in Indian Lake to gather more perspectives to inform interpretive signs along the byway.

Join local residents and community leaders to discuss the area's natural, cultural and historical assets.

"Locally sourced renewable energy — whether from wood, water, wind, sun, geothermal, or plant and animal waste — is important to the park’s future."

Read ANCA Clean Energy Director Sean Connin's commentary about why the Adirondack Park Agency should be a leader for clean energy adoption and policy in the Adirondack region. 

The piece is one of a two-part debate about the topic. A follow-up commentary by Paul Smith's College professor Curt Stager addresses some of the underlying arguments that are used to oppose clean energy adoption in the Adirondacks and elsewhere.  

These pieces were published in the Adirondack Explorer and online in the Adirondack Almanack. 

Building owners and managers in the Saranac Lake area are invited to participate in low-cost energy assessments this spring as part of the Aggregation for Community Energy Security (ACES) program.

Stay tuned for an upcoming informational event with ANCA and contractor L&S Energy Services. 

For more information or to participate in the energy assessments, contact ANCA Energy Circuit Rider Jennifer Perry at jperry@adirondack.org.

NY Green Bank and ANCA will co-host a meeting to discuss how New York's $1 billion financing entity can support clean energy and sustainable infrastructure projects across the State and the North Country.

The gathering, part of NY Green Bank’s annual Statewide Meeting Series, will take place on March 21st in Lake Placid. 

Join ANCA staff and other clean energy leaders for the 5th annual Build a Greener Adirondacks, a day-long conference and vendor exposition designed to educate local builders, contractors, architects, code officials and engineers about the latest in current green building practices and products.

What: BAGA Conference
When: Thursday, March 21st
Where: The Wild Center, Tupper Lake

ADK Futures, a pro bono project for the Adirondack Common Ground Alliance, is developing a vision, strategy and implementation plan for the Adirondack Park. Project leaders will provide an update to the CGA in this two-hour webinar.

What: ADK Futures presentation to CGA
When: Wednesday, March 20th, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.

Free and open to the public. Registration required.

When: March 25 & 26, 2019
Where: Saratoga Springs City Center

Buyer registration is open!

When: April 3, 2019
Where: Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce

The first of five monthly workshops from the Center for Businesses in Transition taking place April-August, 2019. 

When: July 24, 2019
Where: Lake Placid Club Golf House

Join regional partners for discussions around timely Adirondack issues. 

When: September 20, 2019
Where: TBA

When: September 29, 2019
Where: Tucker Farms, Gabriels, NY

Registration for this annual farm-by-bike experiences is open! 

Keep up to date with ANCA events!

ANCA members are growing the New Economy by building strong systems for local food, clean energy and small businesses. Become an ANCA member today.