Adirondack North Country Association Building Vibrant Rural Communities and Resilient Local Economies
Spring 2012
ANCA news
Since 1999, ANCA has helped hundreds of livestock farmers, horse boarders and other related business owners develop grazing plans for their land. USDA Photo
Heading Out to Pasture Grazing plans help livestock farmers make best use of their land
Northern New York has some of the best pasture in the State, and ANCA wants to help livestock farmers get the most from their lands. ANCA’s involvement with cattle farmers dates back to the 1980s, born out of the desire to promote best practices for effective grazing land management, said ANCA Director John Kiechle, a key resource on the ANCA board on agricultural issues and a lifelong dairy farmer. From those early days, the passion to help farmers increase their capacity evolved into a partnership with the USDA-funded Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI). Through GLCI, ANCA works in 10 Northern New York counties with a network of contracted grazing land specialists who design a customized management plan for each participating farm. Denis LaFleur, who owns a 70-acre farm in Fort Covington, northern Franklin County, went through the program in 2010 looking for ways to better manage his 16 red and black Angus cows. Two years later, LaFleur speaks highly of his experience and enthusiastically about the transformation he’s seen on his farm. “It’s a great program, and it was easy to understand. For people doing grazing for beef, sometimes there’s not a lot of money being made, so it’s great to find help for us small producers,” he said. Some of the benefits LaFleur noted: • He no longer buys grain, a savings of at least $80/month. • With rotational grazing, his cows are always eating the sweetest grass and rotating them between eight paddocks gives the other areas a chance to recover. • The cattle are growing 25 percent faster, resulting in more money at butchering time. • Access to funding: Having a grazing plan in place allowed him to access $20,000 in grant funding that was used for additional fencing, water lines and watering facilities for the livestock when they are rotated farther from natural water sources.
INSIDE:
MORE:
PROGRAM NEWS, 2-7
n Clarkson Students; Oneida County entrepreneurs
work on innovative growing projects (photo at left) n Report from Buyer Days 2012 n North Country Clean Energy Conference
ANCA APPLAUDS, 8-9
UPDATES, 10 -12
2 Cover Story ANCA Director John Keichle, who is currently serving as Chairman of New York State’s GLCI Steering Committee, says that while the many benefits of rotational grazing appear to be obvious, the challenge is convincing farmers to adopt the practices. Pictured at left: Farmers gather to hear Dave Roberts, NYS GLCI Coordinator, give a presentation. Events such as these, as well as outdoor pasture walks in the warmer months, help get the word out. Find out more at www.adirondack.org.
Grazing Lands Program at a glance Through a partnership with USDA Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (www.glci.org), ANCA has been writing prescribed rotational grazing plans with farmers in 10 northern New York counties since 1999. Here’s an overview of the process: • A plan begins with a current assessment of the pasture in use as well as future plans. An analysis of the number and type of grazing animals and the number of acres available for pasture is calculated. • Suggestions are made according to the current species of grass growing on the site. • Fencing and water systems are reviewed as well as laneways and other drainage issues. • Prescribed rotational grazing is discussed vs continuous grazing. In general, when pasture is limited, rotational grazing is highly recommended. This idea of rotational grazing is to move the animals to a different section of pasture every 1–7 days. After the plan is completed, the farmer can apply for financial assistance for improvements to farm property as outlined in the plan. (At left: Denis LaFleur’s pasture in Fort Covington. Photo courtesy of Franklin County Soil and Water)
U.S. Farm Bill hearing comes to Saranac Lake
A
s this newsletter is being published, the Senate Agriculture Committee has “reported out” its 2012 Farm Bill. The House Agriculture Committee has concluded field hearings and is drafting a bill. Once the House bill is passed in committee, there will be a “reconciliation” bill with the Senate. With farming such an important part of our local economy, ANCA is working with State and local groups including NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, Adirondack Harvest, the Adirondack Council, Open Space Institute, and others to determine what provisions will best serve the interests of our region. The federal farm bill, which is reauthorized every five years, focuses on such issues as building agricultural production and the viability of farms, nutrition and food safety, rural development, energy and open space/farm land conservation. Several hundred interested citizens, along with members of community organizations, including ANCA staff and board members, attended a Farm Bill field hearing on Friday March 9 at North Country Community College. Hosted by the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, the public hearing was one of four held around the country. The Committee heard witness testimony from eight speakers representing NY dairy, beef and specialty crop farmers, including ANCA Director Michele Ledoux. The top issues discussed were milk prices, crop insurance, labor, marketing and such programs as EQUIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program). Other topics touched on were local food, CSA’s, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and others.
U.S. Representative Bill Owens (D-NY), poses for a photo with Julie King, ANCA’s Agriculture Program Coordinator. Both Owens and Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY), attended the March 9 Farm Bill Hearing in Saranac Lake and both serve on the House Agriculture Committee. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee.
Comments or feedback can be submitted to the House at http://agriculture.house.gov/farmbill_feedback.html by May 20, 2012. ONLINE RESOURCE: This post gives a succinct overview of the Farm Bill: http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/senate-farm-bill-local-food-rd
Faces from the Region
Why I Love it Here
1ST WILDERNESS BYWAY PLAN NEARLY FINISHED
As part of our profiles of emerging entrepreneurs, we talk to one of the new vendors who participated in this year’s Buyer Days gift products trade show.
Rachel King Age: 27 Residence: Saranac Lake, NY Hometown: Tupper Lake, NY Occupation: Art Teacher and Jewelry De-
signer, Owner of Earth Girl Designs (http:// www.etsy.com/shop/EarthGirlDesigns) Career Accomplishments: Becoming an Art Teacher
What brought you here (or if local, what keeps you here)?: Family is my biggest reason for staying, but I adore these small towns; you can feel a sense of “family” among all of them.
What is the biggest attraction to living and working in the Adirondack region?
Living and working among the mountains. I look at them in awe and feel as though they keep us safe; I take a great deal of comfort in
them just being there. Every time I see the sun setting on the mountains or rising up behind them, I catch myself thinking, “I can’t believe I live in such a magical place,” and that’s exactly what it is, magical.
If you could change anything about living here, what would it be? Although I do feel
this mentality is already in motion, I want to continue to encourage the people of the Adirondacks to never stop supporting the arts: in the schools and in our communities. Art must be recognized not just as pretty pictures, but as what helps us think beyond just the surface at a deeper level. Art is a beautiful thing and we must keep it alive.
Christian A. Talgo Age: 33 Residence: Trenton, NY Hometown: Steuben, NY Occupation: Owner of Nail
Creek Pub & Brewery and The Tailor and the Cook restaurant. Both are located in Utica. Find out more at: http://thetailorandthecook.com and http:// nailcreekpub.com/
What is the biggest attraction to living and working in the greater Adirondack region? I have the best family and friends a guy could ask for. We have excellent and plentiful water... The geography here is incredible.
If you could change anything about living here, what would it be? I would like to see people be more locally minded with their purchases.
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A Truly Local Restaurant: Friends since childhood, owners
Chris Talgo and Tim Hardiman forged a business partnership based on their common passions for great local food and drink, sustainable business, and improving the community. Starting with fresh ingredients sourced from area farms, the restaurateurs’ passion doesn’t stop there. Rather than construct a new building to perfectly suit their operation, entrepreneurs Talgo and Hardiman made the more sustainable choice to renovate and retrofit an existing structure in historic Bagg’s Square, using as many recycled, refurbished, and reclaimed materials as possible. Three years earlier, Chris opened up Nail Creek Pub & Brewery after spending 3 years rehabilitating a building that was scheduled for demolition. The pub now offers a diverse beer selection, as well as handcrafted beers.
The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) is currently completing its latest Scenic Byway project in Warren and Saratoga Counties. A new name —First Wilderness Scenic Byway — has been proposed for the driving route which was earlier known to many as the Dude Ranch Trail. The new route will be extended from 40 miles to 60.5 miles. Corinth in Saratoga County will be added as the southern terminus and the new byway will reach all the way up to North Creek following the First Wilderness Heritage Corridor. The new Byway will build upon the First Wilderness Heritage Corridor effort, which has been supported by the NYS Department of State through its Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, connecting waterfront communities along the Hudson, Schroon and Sacandaga Rivers. Once submitted, the Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for First Wilderness will be ANCA’s sixth Byway plan. The plan’s goals include economic development, tourism marketing and promotion, recreation, signage and interpretation, transportation safety and community design, and stewardship. The completed action plan and implementation strategy will guide the effort. Local community and regional projects, plans and studies were reviewed and specific opportunities to support the further implementation of these related efforts were incorporated in the CMP. ANCA will package and submit the draft plan and later meet with the NYS DOT Scenic Byway Advisory Board who will review the submission and decide whether to adopt the plan. The latest Corridor Management Plan project was made possible with grant funding from the NYS Department of Transportation through the National Scenic Byways Program and the Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century. Warren County Planning and Ann Ruzow Holland, Community Planning Advisor, both contributed to these efforts.
4 Program News
A look at three of the 60 vendors from ANCA’s 2012 Buyer Days gift products trade show, which took place March 7-8 at the Saratoga Springs City Center. From left: Kathy from Adirondack Cedar Furniture in Queensbury; Kim Meade of Adirondack Chandler in Glens Falls; and Rob Igoe of North Country Books in Utica. For the complete list of vendors and a look at some of the products, go to www.adirondack.org/buyer-days-2012
Buyer Days 2012 The numbers
Number of people that pre-registered: 157 (101 shops and their staff) Walk-ins: 32 shops and their staff
Lake Memories (Ticonderoga)
Vendors: 60. Of that number, about a third (19) were new to the show.
Goals for 2013 Bigger and better! We are setting the following goals to assist artisan entrepreneurs: • To recruit 100 new buyers for the 2013 show, through building partnerships with other organizations, extending marketing efforts to targeted areas. • To have 80 vendors at the 2013 show. This year, we’ll introduce an incentive program for referrals. We’ll also be more proactive with our own recruiting and create resource material to assist first-time vendors. • We’re going to create some fresh marketing materials, resulting in an updated look. One thing our advisory committee will address is whether to come up with a new name for the show. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Keep in touch through Show Coordinator Melissa Hart: mhart@adirondack.org
Special thanks HenLeoMil Pens and Pebbles (Lowville)
2013 Dates March 27-28, Saratoga Springs City Center
A warm thank you to Sally Hart, an ANCA supporter who helped out with this year’s show. Sally is a longtime Saratoga Springs resident whose connections and knowledge of the region proved to be a huge asset to putting on Buyer Days. Thank you Sally!
Safe Harbor Confections (Maine)
Program News
NORTH COUNTRY CLEAN ENERGY CONFERENCE 2012
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Thursday, June 21, 5-8 p.m. Friday, June 22, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A forum for educators, practitioners, community leaders, industry professionals and others to share information about clean energy opportunities in the North Country
Lake Placid Conference Center, NY | www.adirondack.org
6 Program News
A Homegrown Energy Plan C
The North Country Regional Economic Development Council’s vision: “The North Country Will Lead The Economic Renaissance Of New York State’s Small Cities And Rural Communities,” includes creating the greenest energy economy in the State. Power projects are all directed toward that goal.
ounty leaders from across the North Country met with NYSERDA, ANCA, Ecology & Environment (E & E), on April 2 to formally launch the project to develop a North Country “Homegrown Energy Plan.” This project is part of New York’s new $100M Statewide “Cleaner Greener Communities” program. The funds for this NYSERDA-administered program are from New York State’s portion of funds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first marketbased regulatory program in the United States aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Essex County was awarded $1M on behalf of the North Country as part of the $103.2M North Country Regional Economic Development Plan award to lead the 7-county consortium to complete Phase 1 of this project.
Identifying priorities The group agreed the Plan needs to address: • Stemming the flow of dollars leaving the region • Community viability • Access to capital • Infrastructure It will build on some of our region’s great assets: • Biomass potential • Local creativity and independence (willing to try new things) • Our universities and colleges • Our diverse economies (agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, energy) ANCA will report on progress in future newsletters.
North Country Homeowners Embrace Energy Efficiency in 2011
H
omeowners in the North Country embraced energy efficiency projects in record numbers last year. In 2011, residents completed 49 percent more projects through the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program than during 2010.
The 188 projects completed in the North Country during 2011 resulted in average annual savings of more than $940 per participating household, which will impact the homeowners’ energy bills for years to come. A recent study of 1,012 New York homeowners conducted on behalf of NYSERDA shows that 56 percent of homeowners polled plan to make home energy efficiency improvements, and 87 percent of those plan to do so within the next three years.
Take control of your energy bill
Pictured here: BPIcertified contractor Bill Labbate inspects a furnace during a home energy assessment. (Jamie Rogers/ANCA photo)
Contact ANCA at (518) 891-6200 or at: energy@adirondack.org for more information on the residential programs available to you.
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR uses a “wholehouse” comprehensive assessment approach to home energy usage. Homeowners work with contractors trained in building science and accredited by the Building Performance Institute (BPI). The contractor looks at the entire house, not just one room or a single problem area, in order to identify energy savings. The assessment is free for most homeowners, as it is funded through Green Jobs-Green New York, a program created by New York State to significantly increase the number of energy efficiency improvements in the State while creating green jobs.
Two North Country organizations -- Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Jefferson County and The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) -- are working with NYSERDA to inform residents about Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.
To help homeowners pay for the recommended energy improvements, NYSERDA provides cash-back incentives and low-cost financing. As of Jan. 30, “on-bill recovery financing” was added to other financing options, to enable homeowners to pay for energy efficiency improvements
through their utility bills. By this approach, energy savings from the improvements can be used to offset the cost of the work. Homeowners with moderate to low-incomes can receive grants of up to $5,000 to cover as much as 50 percent of the cost of energy efficiency improvements.
Program News
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Working with Paul Smith’s Students Green Jobs, Green New York ANCA Energy Program Coordinator Jamie Rogers had the opportunity to connect with Paul Smith’s College students in the past few months on different projects. In late February, Jamie gave a presentation about the Green Jobs, Green New York program to Jennifer Perry’s Sustainability 350 class. That talk was followed by students taking part in a home energy assessment, conducted by Kebbyn Griffin, a Building Performance Institute (BPI)
Contractor based in St. Lawrence County. During the assessment, which was done at Perry’s house, Griffin explained each step in the process, concluding with the blower door test, (see
photos below), which measures air leakage in the home. On March 3, Jamie teamed up with students from Paul Smith’s Sustainability Office to give out CFL bulbs and energy assessment applications.
This special collaboration has resulted in the hiring of two Paul Smith’s students as ANCA Energy Program interns for this summer. More on our interns to come in the next newsletter.
8 ANCA Applauds
GlobalFoundries Featured in The Economist The Greater Capital Region’s success with GlobalFoundries is highlighted in a recent edition of The Economist. The article in the London-based publication (weekly circulation: 1.5 million) focuses on the major benefits the semi-conductor chip manufacturer brings to the region, such as “1,600 direct jobs and about 8,000 indirect ones, creating an annual payroll of some $300 million.” The full article can be found here: http:// www.economist.com/node/21552607 Last March, ANCA’s Board of Directors held a meeting at Hudson Valley Community College’s Tec-Smart Center with representatives of Empire State Development and economic developers from Warren, Washington and Saratoga Counties. During this meeting, the ANCA Board learned more about the GlobalFoundries project, its major impacts, and other related economic development opportunities.
Photo courtesy of GlobalFoundries, which is featured in a recent issue of The Economist: http://www.economist.com/node/21552607
Exploring different ways to grow food n An innovative project at Clarkson University integrates three technologies, resulting in sustainable food production and a better waste management process.
Professor Susan Powers gives a tour of Clarkson University’s biodigester. Melissa Hart/ANCA photo
Over the past three years, students designed, built and are now operating a cold climate greenhouse. The system is housed in a passive solar building and employs an aeroponic growing system, LED lights and extensive sensors and controls for energy efficiency. The greenhouse is part of an integrated process that also includes an anaerobic digester (pictured here with Professor Susan Powers) to convert campus food waste into heat and electricity. Effluent from the digester will be used as fertilizer for the greenhouse and as a soil amendment for Clarkson’s grounds, thus reducing the need of commercial fertilizer. A high-efficiency solar thermal and a wood-pellet heating system provide addition-
al thermal energy to the greenhouse and the digester as needed during the winter. Infor-
mation courtesy of Clarkson: http://www.clarkson. edu/news/2012/news-release_2012-02-27-1.html
n A Central New York business is leading the way on the future of food production. The BBC World News program Horizons
took an in-depth look at several innovators in urban agriculture, making a stop at Central New York’s Aqua Vita Farms to look at the techniques they are using and perfecting in a former factory in Sherrill, Oneida County. Aqua Vita uses a combination of hydroponics (soil less agriculture) and aquaculture (fish farming) called aquaponics to grow high-quality lettuce and sweet basil for area restaurants. The aquaponics system can grow almost anything, resulting in produce and seafood year-round. See the feature here: http://www.horizonsbusiness.com/episode/ urban-farming/
Battenkill shared kitchen helps small producers In order to expand the market for local food, there needs to be a support system in place to help launch new small-scale food manufacturers and processors. The Battenkill Kitchen, Inc. is one such organization. The not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization located in Washington County has a mission that includes educating and assisting entrepreneurial farmers and food producers,
and providing a kitchen for community and educational events. Two separate food workshops coming up May 18-19 are geared toward starting a food business and processing pickled foods. The workshops are presented by the NYS Food Venture Center, Department of Food Science & Technology at Cornell University. Registration for each class is $50 and includes
materials and light refreshments. Participants should bring their own lunch. Register by May 11. For more information about the workshops and the Battenkill Kitchen, Inc. visit www.battenkillkitchen.org or call Trish Kozal at 518-854-3032 or Steve Hadcock, Cornell University Cooperative Extension at 518380-1497.
ANCA Applauds
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n ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BROADBAND: Students at Paul
Smith’s College surveyed Keene (Essex County) residents to evaluate the economic impact of expanded broadband internet service. Some of the findings include: • 45% of residents report earning some portion of their annual income using the net. • 21% view the service as mandatory, meaning they’d move without it, and 10% cited it as a factor in moving here. • For seasonal/part-time residents: 95% extend their stays, 75% come more often, 55% come in different seasons and with all this, 86% feel more connected to the year-round community here.
n POROUS PAVEMENT: Kudos to Warren County and New York State Department of Transportation for work
on a project to pave a popular road in Lake George with a new type of porous asphalt. The $6 million project will redo Beach Road with pavement material designed to prevent pollutants from entering water supplies. Instead, storm water will drain through layers of sand and gravel that will filter out pollutants. This will be the first heavily traveled road in New York State to receive this innovative treatment. (Information Courtesy of The Associated Press):
n SWEET REWARD: DANC loans allow maple producers to expand: Lowinterest loans offered through a new agricultural program created by the Development Authority of the North Country will help maple producers in the Western side of the region. From the Watertown Daily Times: http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/ article/20120129/NEWS03/701299884
n MAD MEN MEET HOJO’s:
AMC’s show “Mad Men,” about advertising executives in 1960s New York, took
CENTERSTATE SNAPSHOT ‘Mad Men’s’ Don Draper (Jon Hamm) is perplexed by wife Megan’s (Jessica Pare) lack of excitement over Howard Johnson’s orange sherbet, among other classic HoJo menu items.
a trip Upstate in a recent episode that featured character Don Draper taking his new bride to Plattsburgh and a stay at a Howard Johnson’s motel. A feature in the NY Daily News interviewed Ron Butler, who since 1958 has run Lake Placid’s HoJo’s restaurant, which is one of only two remaining in the country: http:// articles.nydailynews.com/2012-04-24/ news/31394572_1_clams-orange-sherbet-tartar-sauce
n BUILDING MOMENTUM: 2012 Common Ground Alliance Forum Here’s thanks to the hundreds of people who participated in the “Adirondack Futures” scenario planning workshops, which began at the 2011 Common Ground Alliance Forum meeting held last July. An especially warm thank you goes to Jim Herman and Dave Mason for their hard work in conducting the workshops, tabulating the results and making the project happen. We are looking forward to hearing the results of the year-long project at this year’s sixth annual Common Ground Forum, taking place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., July 18 in Long Lake. Registration is now open for the event, which is $20 and includes lunch. RSVP here: http://tinyurl. com/bsya4c4
School Energy Projects: North Country School North Country School was the recipient of a $250,000 NYSERDA/American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant to construct and deploy a state-of-the-art biomass heating plant. This plant represents a critical step toward the stated goal of ultimately eliminating the use of heating oil to heat campus buildings. Biomass technology has been overwhelmingly successful for the school: over the last couple of years. Annual heating oil consumption has dropped by a stunning 74% - from 27,000 gallons to some 7,000 gallons presently. For an article about North Country School’s biomass initiative on the US Department of Energy website, follow this link: http://energy.gov/articles/how-much-wood-would-north-country-school-chip
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Stats courtesy of CenterState Chamber of Commerce/CenterState Corp. for Economic Opportunity: www.centerstateceo.com.
Counties served: Cayuga,
Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Seneca, St. Lawrence and Tompkins
2,250
Small tech firms with less than 100 employees
10,300 Employed in clean and green technologies (419 companies)
70,000
Employed in health care
65,000
Employed in higher education (35 colleges and universities)
10 ANCA Updates
Yogurt Boom
In the first round of funding awards through the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council, Fage USA Daisy, located in the City of Johnstown, received a $750,000 award for an expansion project that will create 100 jobs, of which 90 percent will be made available to low-to-moderate income individuals.
ANCA Examines Greek Yogurt and its Role in Strengthening the Dairy Industry
T
his is an exciting time for dairy-based food production in New York State and for New York’s dairy farms, as the State has emerged as the national center for the production and distribution of Greek style yogurt, which requires significantly more fluid milk than standard yogurts. Following an ANCA Board meeting on March 30 in Johnstown, ANCA directors and key staff were briefed by Michael Reese, President of the Fulton County Economic Development Corporation, and from the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets: Deputy Commissioner Matt Morgan; Casey McCue, Manager, Milk Control; and Charles Huff, Manager, Dairy Services. Patrick Hooker, Empire State Development’s Director of Agri-Business Development (and former Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Markets) also joined the discussion of dairy-based food production in and around our region. Fage USA Dairy Industry Inc., a subsidiary of Fage Dairy Industry S.A. of Athens, Greece, is headquartered in Johnstown, Fulton County, within the ANCA region. Founded in 2000 to manufacture and distribute Greek style yogurt throughout the United States, Fage is undergoing a major expansion to double its production capacity. Another major Greek yogurt producer, Agro Farma, Inc., produces its Chobani
brand product for national distribution in Chenango Country, just beyond the ANCA region. Agro Farma is the parent company to Euphrates, Inc., a major producer of feta cheese which is also based in Johnstown. Both Fage and Agro Farma purchase a significant amount of their fluid milk from Adirondack North Country dairy farms. The two firms have a combined workforce of nearly 900 people.
The full economic impact of dairy production Statewide in 2010 was estimated at $8.5 billion based on New York’s production of over 12 billion pounds of milk. In 2010, New York was fourth in the nation in milk production, behind California, Wisconsin and Idaho. Due to steadily growing food processing capacity in New York, expanded milk production is now able to be processed
Spotlight on New ANCA Board Member Brian Ruder The ANCA Board of Directors is pleased to formally introduce Brian Ruder as its newest member. Brian Ruder is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Skylight Partners Inc., a strategic marketing and business development consulting group. He founded Skylight Partners in 2001 after a 23-year career of increasingly senior management leadership positions with Citigroup, the H.J.Heinz Company, and PepsiCo. Skylight Partners has enjoyed a broad range of engagements in consumer products
and services, including most recently: LexisNexis: Product development for a broad range of legal services, advertising platform spanning all products, acting head of corporate communications group AOL: Creation of differentiated and customer-segmented offerings to accelerate broadband service growth and loyalty JPMorgan Chase: Development of new communications platform, branding and product alignment across the consumer banking spectrum Jazz @ Lincoln Center: Strategic vision and programming/audience development Mr. Ruder also serves as Chairman of the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries in Beacon, N.Y.
to a greater extent by New York companies rather than being shipped out-of-State. Over the five year period between 2006 and 2011, there was an over 13 percent decline in the amount of fluid milk shipped out-of-State for processing. It is great news that New York is gaining employment and other economic benefits from better integration between its farm production and in-State, value-added food processing.
A growing manufacturing consumer of fluid milk in New York is its yogurt industry which nearly doubled its production between 2009 and 2011 to approximately 520 million pounds. Of the State’s 10 largest dairy producing counties, four are located in the ANCA region (St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, and Oneida). Prior to Skylight Partners Inc., Mr. Ruder served most recently as Executive Vice President of Global Marketing for Citigroup. Over four years, he built a worldwide capacity for Citigroup, encompassing product development, segment marketing, customer knowledge and insights, customer relationship marketing, and branding and advertising. Mr. Ruder also served the H.J. Heinz Company for over 16 years in a range of positions, including President/CEO of Heinz USA, President/CEO of Weight Watchers Food Company, and Corporate Vice President of Worldwide Infant Feeding, where he established the company’s first globally integrated marketing and manufacturing operation. Mr. Ruder earned a BA in American History in from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA in Marketing from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College.
About ANCA
11 ANCA Board of Directors PRESIDENT Stephen M. Erman — Regional Development Consultant VICE PRESIDENT John Bartow — Executive Director, Tug Hill Commission
TREASURER Dale G. Brown — Assistant Vice President and Manager, NBT Bank Since incorporation in 1955, ANCA has developed and managed programs across all 14 counties in Northern New York State, successfully ‘investing’ millions of dollars, mostly from federal and New York State grants as well as private funding, to build capacity and to support community economic development across the region. ANCA’s portfolio of programs, as well as its strengths in fostering dialogue and effective partnerships, bring together the many components that are needed to build stronger, more self-reliant and localized economies throughout the Adirondack North Country.
ANCA’s Reach Since 2000, ANCA has received $12.7M in federal/State grants and private donations, including $5.2M in Scenic Byways grants. Nearly all of those funds has been spent or distributed in our local economies. • ANCA’s estimated impact since 2000 has been about $266M, or a return of 20 to 1 • $2,174,000 has been generated directly for regional craftspeople and shop owners. • Communities served: 264 • Number of partners: 131
SECRETARY Ross Whaley — Senior Advisor, Adirondack Landowners Association
CENTRAL REGION VICE PRESIDENT Richard R. Bird — Owner, Bird’s Marine and Adirondack Real Estate NORTHERN REGION VICE PRESIDENT Paul M. Cantwell, Jr. – Attorney, Cantwell & Cantwell
SOUTHEASTERN REGION VICE PRESIDENT Ron Montesi — Queensbury Town Board Member
WESTERN REGION VICE PRESIDENT Michele Ledoux — Executive Director, Lewis County Cornell Cooperative Extension Kelly Blazosky — President, Oneida County Tourism Jill Breit — Executive Director, Traditional Arts in Upstate New York Richard Burns — Manager, Community and Customer Management, National Grid Kelly Chezum — Vice President for External Relations, Clarkson University James T. Ellis — Former Principal, Tupper Lake High School Eugene T. Falvo — Vice President, Falvo Manufacturing Mike Farmer — Tourism/Publicity Director, Town of Webb Bruce Ferguson — Owner, Scott Hill Farm Steven Hartnett — Senior Vice President - Chief Credit Officer, Adirondack Bank John C. Kiechle — Owner, Philadelphia Grass Company Daniel Mason — Former Assistant Division Manager, Exxon Mobil Refineries Marti Mozdzier — Owner, Wilemar Associates
Contact Us 67 Main Street, Suite 201, Saranac Lake NY 12983 Office phone: 518.891.6200 ANCA’s newsletter is published six times a year. Send notices, announcements and other items to Melissa Hart, mhart@ adirondack.org.
Stephanie Ratcliffe — Executive Director, The Wild Center Alice Recore — President & CEO, Mountain Lake PBS Brian Ruder — Founder & CEO, Skylight Partners Inc.
Arnie Talgo — Tug Hill Commission member; former Senior Policy Analyst, New York Power Authority Patricia Tatich — Director, Warren County Planning Department Eric Virkler — Director, Lewis County Economic Development/Planning
Our Supporters
These individuals, businesses and organizations enable us to continue our work building vibrant communities and resilient local economies
Thanks to all of our most recent donors: Abanakee Studios Adirondac Bail, Inc. Adirondack Bank Adirondack Baskets & Heritage Designs Adirondack Community Trust-Evergreen Fund Adirondack Council Adirondack Gateway Business Association Adirondack Harvest Allen, Rip & Shirley Almanzo & Laura Ingalls Wilder Assoc Americade American Maple Museum Anderson, Ivar Arts Guild of Old Forge, Inc Bardin, Dr. & Mrs. C. Wayne & Beatrice Bartow, John & Janet Bionique Testing Laboratories Bird, Richard Black Mountain Design Build Boice, Bob Borland, Lee & Judi Brady, Paul Brill, Jason & Gail Brophy, Jere & Elaine Brown, Dale Caldera, Donald Cantwell, Paul Jr. CAP-21, Nicholas Rose Capone, Philip Catamount Lodge & Forest LLC Cato Analytics LLC - Dan Conable Chezum, Kelly Claffey, Jane Clark, Dr. William Clifford, Donald K. Jr Cobb, Tom County of Essex County of Franklin County of Hamilton County of Herkimer County of Lewis IDA County of Washington DeHoff, William & Sara Jane DeHond, Stephen Development Authority of the North Country Dewan, Dr. David Dry Brook Sugar House Dunham, Allen Ellis, Jim & Elaine Erman, Stephen & Margot Gold
Farrell, Michael & Andrea Finnerty, Edward Fish, Peter & Diane Fisk, Sam Fortune, Andrew Jr Franklin County Industrial Dev Agency Friedmann, Alec & Susan Fuller Communications GE Foundation George Kahler Sales Golbin, Sylvia Graymont Materials (NY) Inc. Hart, Greg & Jayne Hart, Sally Hastings, Roger Heimerdinger, John & Marilyn Herzig Group Higgins, James III Hill, Greg Holland, Ann Ruzow Holman, Frederick Hunter, William & Mary Ida, Patrick R., CPA Illuminating Concepts International Paper Irondequoit Inn - Loren Brown Jefferson County Job Dev. Corp. Kelting, Daniel Kennedy, Dr. Joseph Kiechle, John Laverge, Hendrik Lemay, Elizabeth LittleGrasse Foodworks - Bob Washo Martino, John & Terry Mason, Daniel Master, Larry & Nancy Matousek, Alois McManus, Melissa Meade, Kim Montesi, Ronald & Rosemary Morningstar Bistro Mountain Lake PBS National Grid Newell, Allen Northeast Living Lights NYS Snowmobile Association O’Leary, Jane Oneida County Tourism Payne, Robert Pennock, Gary
Plattsburgh Family Medicine Plumley Engineering, P.E. Preston, Seymour Jr Przybycien, Frank P.E. Quinn, Robert & Janet Rapp, Dennis Raquette Lake Property Owners Association Recore, Harold & Alice Reiss, Paul & Rosemary Rice, Debora Rogers-Carroll Family Foundation Ruch, Dave Ruder Family Foundation Russell, Bruce & Claire Sage, Donald Saratoga Sweets - Mike Fitzgerald Schroon Lake Chamber of Commerce Share A Bear Inc Shearer, Thomas Sierzega, EH Spear, John & Martha Spiritus Gladius Foundation Tahawus Lodge - Appleby Foundation Inc Thill, Mary Thornbush Enterprises Town of Long Lake Town of Webb Traditional Arts in Upstate NY Trenton Chamber of Commerce Tug Hill Commission Upper Jay Upholstery Virkler, Eric Visalli, Joe & Matie Flowers Watson, Mary Jane Whaley, Ross & Beverly White, David Wikoff, Naj Wild Orchard Farm Willis, Pat & Tom Winterer, Philip & Patricia Wolfe, David Zeltmann, Eugene & Susan n n
In memory of WR Fuller In memory of Terry Harden n n
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