As Springtime slowly creeps up to the Adirondack North Country, the entire region is awakening to the possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead. Our region’s economy thrives during the warmer months as businesses, shops and restaurants extend their hours and stock their shelves to best accommodate our region’s residents and visitors. We’re all gearing up for a summer season bustling with social and economic activity in our towns and villages. Small businesses play a major role in our local...Read more

On Friday, March 24th, over 350 makers, educators, organizers, industry leaders, manufacturers, museums representatives and public officials came together in Albany to learn, discuss partnerships and plan how to grow the maker movement in New York State. I attended the meeting and was excited to see a number of folks from our region in attendance as well. The morning kicked off with an introduction from Dan Schneiderman from NYS Makers , a collaborative group of makers that organized the event...Read more

Many businesses in the Adirondack North Country form collaborative relationships when making, producing and building. In this video, ANCA and Josh Clement Productions take a closer look at Gristmill Distillery in Keene, NY and how this unique business employs local people, utilizes local ingredients and seeks out local resources to produce fine North Country spirits.Read more

Adirondack filmmaker Josh Clement has deep roots in the region There is something about this place that keeps so many of us here, despite the challenges. Maybe it’s the ancient mountains and wild forests. Or the clear lakes and winter snow. Or the small towns and supportive communities. Maybe it’s our resilient people and their inspiring narratives. Josh Clement, born and raised in the Adirondacks, has grown to embrace this place, it’s magic and the human stories that make it tick. Josh, like...Read more

Sweetgrass. Cedar. Lavender. Marigold. Rose. Balsam. The ingredients alone conjure up an intoxicating palette of fragrance, color and flavor. Nestled on a peaceful farm in Northern New York, a homegrown business is rooted in these elements. Soapmaker and entrepreneur Sandy Maine of Parishville has been a leader in the local maker scene for nearly 40 years. She is a long-time supporter of ANCA’s artisan programs and has been attending Adirondack Buyer Days since the show’s very beginning, in...Read more

It’s hard to believe it’s mid-December at the Madrid-Waddington Central School. As snow drifts into the exterior courtyard, lush green plants fill sturdy metal racks in the school’s garden room. Eight six-foot tall grow racks boast salad greens and herbs as well as a few experimental strawberry and cucumber plants. Several baby cucumbers dangle from vines and basil seedlings look vibrant against dark organic soil, made entirely of composted material from prior plantings. The grow racks are the...Read more

Many artists and artisans of the Adirondack North Country utilize the region's unique natural resources to create beautiful and unique works of art. In this video, ANCA and Josh Clement Productions take a closer look at the time-intensive and precise work that stone sculptor Matt Horner puts into his pieces.Read more

I spoke with Hub on the Hill DirectorJori Wekin to learn more about the jobs directly and indirectly created and supported through the shared food processing “makerspace” and marketplace. The conversation ended up being about more than just jobs. The story of the Hub on the Hill is also about needs, risks, community support, partnership, and a unique and evolving vision for success. “The Hub on the Hill is inspired by the region’s local makers, farmers and food artisans of the North Country,”...Read more

Nearly 70 makers, hackers, DIYers, business owners, public officials, and community members came together to explore the idea of rural communities of making and what that could look like in the region at Pendragon Theatre on November 9th. Makerspaces and hackerspaces have been the center of attention in business, political, and academic research circles in recent years for their ability to both build community and incubate the creation of small businesses by reducing startup costs and barriers...Read more

The Adirondack North Country is home to a number of passionate small farmers who work under the region's unique and challenging conditions to make a living doing what they love. ANCA and Josh Clement Productions created a short film highlighting a day in the life of Sugar House Creamery in Upper Jay, New York.Read more