ANCA is honored to work with hardworking and innovative people across northern New York — farmers, small business owners, community leaders, nonprofit partners, elected officials, advocates — people who care as deeply about the Adirondack North Country as we do. Here are some of their stories:
A new tractor. A few freezers. Specialty processing equipment. For many North Country farms, strategic purchases make a big difference in their immediate goals and their long-term viability. But capital to invest in those purchases is often hard to come by. That’s why ANCA partnered with Foodshed Capital in 2022 to establish the SOIL Loan Fund — a unique regional program that provides flexible, zero-interest loans to food businesses that have difficulty accessing capital through conventional loan programs. Since the Fund’s launch, many loan applicants have requested support for buying specialty equipment that would increase efficiency, productivity and profitability for...
In 2018, St. Regis Canoe Outfitters owners Dave and Rivka Cilley reached out to ANCA and the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (SLACC) about a new program designed to help North Country small businesses transition to the next generation of owners. Over the course of five years, ANCA’s Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) would help connect the Cilleys with the right buyer, as well as a team of local providers and technical services to support them through the transition process. In July 2023, the Cilleys passed the paddle to Maeghan Farnham and Steve Cerri — two experienced and...
As a professional dancer and choreographer with deep roots in the Harlem social justice scene, it is no wonder Adirondack Diversity Initiative Director Tiffany Rea-Fisher has brought her passion for the arts to her work in the Adirondack North Country. The arts, she believes, bring people together. Since Tiffany joined the ANCA team in February 2023, ADI has partnered with more arts institutions around the region to promote deeper understanding of systemic inequities and biases that persist in our region and across the globe, while building collaborations that address these challenges at a community level. From music and performance to...
Nestled in a quiet residential neighborhood in the Village of Saranac Lake, Mt. Pisgah Recreation Center is a true small town treasure. The 72-acre property is home to a network of multi-use, multi-season trails, and a family-friendly ski hill that harkens back to an earlier era. The park also features newly installed pickleball courts and a base lodge that welcomes skiers during the winter months and community gatherings throughout the year. Mt. Pisgah’s summit provides great bang for your buck; a short walk is rewarded by stunning views of the Adirondack High Peaks and Saranac Lakes. In his role as...
When ANCA closed out our two-year Center for Pandemic Response (ANCA CPR) in 2023, the two-year program had provided, among other benefits, the retention of over 2,600 local jobs and over $120,000 in capital to support businesses and nonprofits with projects that help them build stability and resilience. Understanding there was a continued need to help businesses identify options for loans, grants and other funding opportunities, ANCA sought out new solutions in collaboration with our regional partners. In May 2023, with generous donor support, we hired ANCA’s first Grant Advocate and Coordinator, Jon Ignatowski, to increase constituents’ understanding of and...
The relationship between Adirondack Fragrance & Flavor Farm and ANCA goes way back — to 1986 when founder and owner Sandy Maine participated in ANCA’s inaugural Adirondack Buyer Days trade show. She was in the early stages of her soapmaking career, and ANCA’s annual gift show provided her with wholesaling experience and connections that would help her grow her markets and build her business. Sandy has since attended all but a handful of our 37 Adirondack Buyer Days shows. Fast forward to 2019, when Sandy began thinking more intentionally about the future of the business she had nurtured for decades....
Open communication, inclusive actions and welcoming language do not come to us naturally. Like other skills, they require learning and practice. In coordination with our ANCA CPR Team, ADI has led a series of Welcoming and Belonging in the Workplace workshops designed to provide business and nonprofit staff with tools for improving communication and embracing cultural and political diversity at work. Presenters and participants explored complex workplace issues that impact our professional lives — like the Great Resignation, compounding impacts of the COVID pandemic, and feelings of loneliness that afflict so many American workers. Participants explored Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and...
The small Town of Essex, N.Y. — population approximately 621 — is a big player among North Country communities who are building our region’s clean energy future. Town leaders have been working with ANCA Energy Circuit Riders (ECRs) since 2016 to seek out and implement forward-looking energy projects that benefit their community. This year, they celebrated their biggest project to date. On Earth Day 2023, Town Supervisor Kenneth Hughes and his team gathered with community members, elected officials and local partners to commemorate the installation of a 17.55 kilowatt solar array on the roof of the historic Whallonsburg Grange Hall....
ANCA SOIL Loan recipients Katie and Bandon Donahue have been farming together since 2007 and established Donahue’s Livestock Farm in North Bangor, N.Y. in 2016. Their loan project — Donahue’s Chop Shop — marks a significant step in the evolution of their farm operation as they will soon be able to provide more local meat for more customers, including vulnerable members of their community. The Donahues are using their zero-percent interest loan to grow their business while increasing local food access, particularly for low-income households. Brandon and Katie are renovating and purchasing equipment for their own specialty butcher shop, where...
In Lewis County, Tug Hill Artisan Roasters has been making major building and energy improvements to the old jailhouse the popular coffee shop now occupies in downtown Lowville, N.Y. A true coffee connoisseur with a passion for every step of the farm-to-cup process, Scott Gilbert brought his attention to detail and quality to the deteriorating jailhouse he and his wife Vanessa purchased in 2022 for their rapidly growing business. Scott worked closely with ANCA’s Center for Pandemic Response (ANCA CPR) and Energy Circuit Rider Annie Arnold to secure grant funds, local contractors and a plan to replace the building’s outdated...
Norliah Asma and Erwin Kalmar, owners of Four Maples Vineyard & Winery in Champlain, N.Y., are familiar with the risks that North Country food producers face: unpredictable weather, destructive pests, rising costs and labor shortages among others. With much of their revenue generated from their wine sales, tasting room and event venue, the pandemic created additional financial stress for their business. When faced with these challenges, the multicultural couple (Norliah hails from Singapore and Erwin is from Switzerland) got their creative juices flowing. They built an outdoor pavilion for wine tasting and started welcoming RV guests for overnight stays. Where...
A collaboration focused on strengthening relationships between people and place while promoting a sense of belonging, ADI’s Emerging Stewards Program is empowering young people of diverse backgrounds to become future stewards of this special place. Supported by powerful partnerships with the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Newcomb, SUNY Potsdam, Inclusive Woods & Us, and local organizations like Camp Dudley, Camp Eagle Island, and Camp Sagamore, the Emerging Stewards program provides opportunities for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and other minoritized groups to experience the region’s cultural, natural and recreational assets. "After returning from an amazing...
The 282 residents in the Village of Deferiet have a strong clean energy advocate at the helm. Eager to enroll in the CEC program and bring energy efficiency and renewable energy benefits to her community, Deferiet Mayor Janet Zando has been working closely with ANCA ECRs to complete High Impact Actions. Under Janet’s leadership, the Village is monitoring its energy use in its municipal buildings and has begun implementing clean energy project improvements like replacing its street lights with more efficient LEDs.
Julian Mangano started Della Terra (Italian for “of the earth”) in 2017 as a market garden with the goal of gradually expanding the Castorland, N.Y. operation, improving his five acres of land, and providing more “food with integrity” for his community. As the business grew, he sought ways to diversify its offerings — and his dream of creating a composting initiative took root. Now that New York State requires composting for businesses that generate an annual average of two tons of food waste per week, demand for this type of service is up. By investing in composting now, Julian stands...
As a child visiting the area with his family, Paul Budd would browse the aisles of the Silver Bay General Store with a pocketful of change to spend on penny candy and other exciting finds. Even in those early years, Paul recognized the important role the landmark shop played in the community. More than a convenience store, it is a central place for connection among locals and visitors alike. So when Paul and his wife Joanne learned the store was for sale, they were eager to purchase it. Paul met Matthew Courtright, Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) Executive Director...
