Posts Tagged ‘Adirondack North Country Association’

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

ANCA’s 2023 Annual Meeting

ANCA Annual Meeting

Lowville, NY – What is belonging, and what does it feel like to belong? How do businesses and communities benefit from prioritizing belonging in their work? Why does the ANCA team think belonging is critical for the future strength of our region?

You are invited to join ANCA’s 2023 Annual Meeting: Building Belonging in the New Economy. Together, we will engage in an interactive conversation exploring concepts, practices, and everyday actions we can each use to create inclusive spaces in our region where people truly belong. Our goal is for all attendees to leave with actionable ideas to incorporate principles of belonging in their business, organization, and community. » Continue Reading.


Friday, June 30, 2023

Small Business Reflections on Setbacks, Successes and Funding Partnerships

ribbon cutting with people in front of a building

by Danielle Delaini, ANCA Entrepreneurial Economy Program Director

ANCA’s Small Business Team’s focuses on the current and future needs of the entrepreneurs with whom we work. We experience and witness many emotions through the successes and disappointments of the people we serve.

Whether we’re helping owners transition their businesses to the next generation, or helping artisans reach wholesale markets with their products, or guiding businesses affected by COVID-19 and other economic challenges with resources to help them build resilience — it can all feel inconsequential in moments of disappointment.

My heart hurts when a business closes despite the support our organization and our partners provide. When a business transition has all the right ingredients for a successful transfer but just doesn’t come together, I feel deep empathy for the business owner who has worked so hard to reach that point only to have to start over. When a new vendor leaves our Adirondack Buyer Days trade show with new wholesaling experience and knowledge, but no new retailer clients, I feel their disappointment too.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, May 27, 2023

ANCA Awarded $40K Lake Champlain Basin Artist-in-Residence Program Grant

Paul Smith’s College professor Dr. Curt Stager collects a core sample from Lake Champlain.

Saranac Lake, NY —  Visitors to Lake Champlain will soon be able to learn about the ecological and cultural diversity of the lake and its surrounding area through music and sound. The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) has been awarded a $40,000 grant to support an interpretive music project that celebrates regional biodiversity and human diversity while engaging American and Canadian audiences in a shared artistic experience of the Champlain Basin.

The “Watershed Voices” project — a collaboration of regional partners including ANCA’s Adirondack Diversity Initiative and McClure Productions Inc. — was awarded the grant through the Lake Champlain Basin Artist-in-Residence Program and NEIWPCC, a regional commission that helps the states of the Northeast preserve and advance water quality.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, May 6, 2023

Launching a North Country Clean Energy Hub; and bringing back a Clean Energy Conference

group wearing red shirts

By Craig Basford, ANCA Clean Energy Communications Coordinator

Earth Day is a time for new beginnings, a chance to start fresh and make positive changes in our relationship with the planet. 

New beginnings can feel risky or uncertain as we venture into new habits, technologies and experiences, but they also offer new and exciting opportunities to learn and grow.

Can you remember the feeling of moving into your first new home or apartment? Of starting a new job? You tried to play it cool, but inside, you were buzzing with excitement.

That’s how our team feels right now — because ANCA is embarking on our own new beginnings. This Earth Week, ANCA and our clean energy partners are celebrating the launch of the new North Country Clean Energy Hub. And we are so excited to share it with you!

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, April 30, 2023

Adirondack-area nonprofits welcome new council, board members

Welcome sign

Adirondack-area nonprofit organizations, including Adirondack Wild and the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA), recently welcomed new council/board members. Those with Adirondack Wild were pleased to welcome Steve Englebright who will be joining the organization’s Advisory Council, and Adam Pearsall will be the newest addition to ANCA’s Board of Directors.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, April 16, 2023

Donahue’s Livestock Farms Receives Small Farm Loan for New Butcher Shop

Katie and Brandon Donahue and their family will open a new butcher shop on Main Street in Malone, N.Y. where customers will be able to purchase farm-raised meats.

Saranac Lake, NY — The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) and Foodshed Capital have announced that Donahue’s Livestock Farms in North Bangor, N.Y. is the second farm to receive a loan through their revolving loan fund for small-scale food producers. The zero-percent interest loan will help Donahue’s renovate and purchase equipment for a specialty butcher shop.

The new retail operation, Donahue’s Chop Shop, will provide farm-fresh beef, pork and lamb for local customers, including families who participate in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The renovation project at 255 West Main Street, in Malone, N.Y. will begin in Spring 2023.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, March 12, 2023

ANCA Awarded $558K USDA Grant for Climate Smart Project

North Country Creamery in Keeseville, N.Y. will participate in an agroforestry project, coordinated by ANCA, that was awarded a $558,000 USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant.

Saranac Lake, NY – The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) has been awarded a $558,000 federal grant to support climate-smart agroforestry projects on small farms in northern New York. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) awarded the regional economic nonprofit a Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant to help farmers diversify their operations while implementing farming practices that improve land, water and air quality across the region.

The pilot project will provide customized technical assistance to participating farms and monitor economic and environmental benefits of utilizing agroforestry practices like silvopasture — a technique that integrates livestock, forage crops and trees on the same land. Planning and implementation phases of the project are expected to take two years, beginning in the summer and fall of 2023.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, January 19, 2023

Early bird registration for North Country business conference ends Jan. 20

Nick Prechel, left, and Tyler Merriam recently purchased Adirondack Awards and Promotions in Lake Placid with the support of the North Country Center for Businesses in Transition partnership.

SARANAC LAKE, NY — A regional partnership focused on retaining small businesses in northern New York State will convene current business owners and potential buyers for a three-day educational and networking conference. The North Country Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) partnership invites aspiring business owners to attend its second Small Communities. Big Opportunities: Own a North Country Business Conference, which will be held in-person with a virtual option on February 12-14, 2023, in Saranac Lake, N.Y. on the heels of the Adirondack village’s ten-day Winter Carnival.

In-person events will take place at Hotel Saranac, where attendees can connect with current and aspiring business owners, business support professionals, and CBIT representatives. The conference will kick off with an opening reception before the Winter Carnival’s closing fireworks show. Registration for in-person and virtual attendance is open at www.northcountryopportunities.com.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, January 1, 2023

Tupper Lake: ADK Food Hub Awarded $500K Grant Through USDA

TUPPER LAKE, N.Y. — North Country farmers and food producers will soon be able to access shared regional processing facilities, distribution services and marketing opportunities, thanks to a successful grant proposal from The Hub, also known as the ADK Food Hub, in Tupper Lake, N.Y. The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) announced the small farm and food hub has been awarded nearly $500,000 in grant funding through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Local Food Promotion Program.

Hub owner Cherie Whitten will use the $395,000 grant and $100,000 of largely in-kind matching funds to provide small-scale and low-income food producers with support for production, aggregation, distribution and marketing of local food. The project will ultimately bring more high-quality, nutritious food to rural and low-income consumers who currently have limited access to local farm products.

» Continue Reading.


Friday, December 23, 2022

How to go green this holiday season

By ANCA Energy Circuit Riders Shawnea Hull and Carlie Leary

Incorporating sustainable practices into your holiday season doesn’t have to be difficult and can be a wonderful opportunity to create new traditions, start meaningful conversations, and reduce your impact on the environment. Below we offer some tips on how to cut down your energy use and expenses and reduce waste during the holidays.

Energy Use

Switch to LED this holiday season.

switch to led lights

On average, Americans use around 3.5 billion kWhs of electricity to light their holiday lights throughout the month of December. Using standard equipment (one 20-ft string of 100 incandescent bulbs using 40W of electricity x 9 such strings on average to light a Christmas tree and outdoor lights), for 6 hours a day means the typical household in the U.S. will use around 65 kWh of electricity in December — adding up to around $645 million spent by Americans this month running holiday lights.

One solution? LED lights. LEDs may have a higher upfront cost, but they ultimately provide savings on your electric bill and reduce your GHG emissions. When you use  LED bulbs for all your holiday lights, the amount of power you use drops by around 75%. Whether you strive for Clark Griswold-inspired lighting or a more modest holiday display, these holiday light calculators show you  how much switching to LED lights can save you!

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, December 17, 2022

ANCA Selected by NYSERDA to Establish Clean Energy Hub for the North Country

Adirondack North Country Association logo.

SARANAC LAKE, NY — The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) has announced that the regional nonprofit has been selected by the New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to establish its new Regional Clean Energy Hubs Program in the North Country. ANCA will work closely with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties and SUNY Canton Career Ready Education and Success Training (CREST) to administer the $4,099,404 award and bring clean energy programs and workforce development opportunities to North Country residents, homeowners, and businesses.

 

The project supports Governor Kathy Hochul’s nation-leading climate goals outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, as well as the State’s commitment to deliver at least 35 percent of the benefits from clean energy investments, with a goal of 40 percent, to disadvantaged communities and help advance an equitable clean energy transition for all New Yorkers.

» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, December 7, 2022

ANCA to host free virtual grant writing workshop Dec. 13

All are invited to strengthen their business or organization with effective grant writing practices by joining ANCA for a Grant Writing 101 course on Tuesday, December 13 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The free virtual workshop is designed to help identify and apply for grants that support one’s business and organizational goals. During this 1.5 hour webinar, which will take place via Zoom, ANCA staff will share their extensive knowledge and experience with finding grant opportunities, identifying those that match applicant goals, developing successful proposals, navigating the submission process, and managing grant funds.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, December 3, 2022

$100,000 National Grid Grant Supports ANCA’s Center for Businesses in Transition 

SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. — National Grid has awarded $100,000 to the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) to support the regional nonprofit’s North Country Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT) and a skills-building and networking conference for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. The grant award will advance the CBIT partnership’s ongoing work supporting local business transitions, including its Small Communities. Big Opportunities.: Own a North Country Business Conference on February 12-14, 2023.

The grant is funded through National Grid’s Project C initiative, which supports projects across New York State with a focus on clean energy and sustainability; workforce development; neighborhood investment and community engagement; and environmental justice and social equity. Project C is funded by shareholders of the regional energy company.

» Continue Reading.


Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Free Welcoming and Belonging Workshops Offered in Plattsburgh and Glens Falls on Nov. 15 and 16

Glens Falls and Plattsburgh, N.Y. — Small business and nonprofit personnel are invited to develop communication skills that will help them retain employees and support positive customer experiences at a free workshop presented by the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) and the Adirondack Diversity Initiative (ADI).

Free Building Welcoming and Belonging in the Workplace workshops will take place on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Old Council Chambers, Plattsburgh City Hall, Plattsburgh, N.Y., and Wednesday, November 16, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at WorkSmart Coworking and Meeting Place, 237 Glen Street, Glens Falls, N.Y. Small business owners, employees, aspiring entrepreneurs and nonprofit personnel in ANCA’s 14-county service region are invited to attend. Registration is open at adirondack.org/welcomingworkshop.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, October 13, 2022

ANCA seeks new Adirondack Diversity Initiative director

nicky hylton-pattersonThe Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) has announced that Nicole Hylton-Patterson is stepping down from her role as director of the Adirondack Diversity Initiative after nearly three years heading the program. ANCA will convene a hiring committee made up of members of the economic development organization’s board and staff, as well as ADI Core Team members, to conduct a search for a new director.
Hylton-Patterson’s final day as ADI Director is Friday, October 14, 2022. The open job position will be posted on the ANCA website and shared broadly later this month.

» Continue Reading.



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