In celebration of Earth Day 2021, the Adirondack Park’s largest environmental organization awarded 21 micro-grants totaling $29,601 to local farmers and value-added food producers, in an effort to build a climate-friendly local economy in the Adirondack Park.
It was the sixth consecutive year that the Adirondack Council has awarded micro-grants to farmers and small business owners who want to reduce their environmental impact and adapt to a changing climate.
If you weren’t a gardener before, the COVID-19 pandemic may have inspired you to start a veggie garden. Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Fairfield, Maine, saw a 270% jump in orders the week the coronavirus pandemic was declared a national emergency. Many local nurseries sold out of vegetable transplants fast last spring, citing they couldn’t keep up with demand.
What is the Difference Between Micro-Greens, Shoots, Sprouts, and Baby Greens? Microgreens, shoots, and sprouts are all immature plants harvested before they reach full maturity.
The Adirondack Council’s Essex Farm Institute (EFI) will offer grants of up to $1,500 per applicant for projects that are both environmentally beneficial and sustainable. They will be seeking applicants starting today for their 2021 micro-grant cycle until the end of the month.
To date, the micro-grant program has awarded over $129,000 in the support of over 85 projects since the programs conception in 2016, with 13 farms being awarded grants during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Adirondack Harvest has added a COVID-19 resources page to its website, to make it easier to people to support area farms and businesses and continue to source locally produced foods. The page can be found here.
Here are a few highlights:
Delivery and pick-up options for local food and groceries.
Many regional CSA’s will begin soon. When you participate in a CSA, you will pay for a season’s worth of fresh food for a farmer, who will then coordinate pick-up or delivery to you weekly. To find a CSA near you, click here.
Farmstores are still open as well and taking care to keep their products available and safe for the public. Browse regional farmstands and farmstores. Click here to view a map of regional farmstands and farmstores.
A list of Take-out and Delivery options has also been compiled by the Adirondack Almanack.
Many events and social gatherings have been canceled or postponed, but market organizers have updated protocol in some cases to provide a safer experience. The Saranac Lake Farmers’ Park-it is still open and offering curbside pick-up. You can order ahead online here.
Pictured here: Blue Pepper Farm in Jay. Photo courtesy of Lisa Godfrey.
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