Blog

There has been a flurry of activity on Agriculture coming from the state recently that will benefit farming in the Adirondacks. In this blog, read about the positive changes Governor Kathy Hochul has brought to the farm table.

Read about Governor Hochul's budget proposal and her appointments to the Road Salt Task Force, the new Executive Director of the Adirondack Park Agency, and more.

On Earth Day this year, the Adirondack Council and Essex Farm Institute announced that it awarded 21 micro-grants to local farmers and value-added producers to fund climate-friendly projects. It was the sixth year in which the Council granted funds to local Adirondack farmers and business-owners seeking to reduce their impact on the environment and adapt to climate change.

In this blog, you can read about the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus' visit to the Park, the Governor's appointment of John Ernst to chair the APA, and more.

Most people recognize the importance of agriculture for food, fuel, and fiber, but farmland is also key to environmental stewardship. Small-scale, organic farming practices are an essential part of the vision for a healthy and sustainable Adirondack Park.

This blog is the second in a series that will examine the potential impacts and changes in the Adirondacks that will result from the implementation of New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. How will the law impact our farms? Where will new renewable energy projects be sited? How will communities need to adapt? What can you do to help? This blog series will examine these questions and more, with the goal of shedding light on the challenges and opportunities the Adirondack region will face in mitigating and adapting to climate change under New York’s revolutionary new climate law.

This past Thursday, February 28, the North Country Food Justice Working Group hosted the second annual Food Justice Summit at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. The focus of the summit was action- how can we leverage the movements that are already happening in our food system by joining forces to create a sovereign regional food system that serves all north country residents.

When sitting down to the dinner table, many of us don’t consider where our food came from, how the laborers were paid, or how our level of privilege determined what’s on our plate. In fact, I think many of us are guilty of giving little thought to our food system and the multiple-scales at which it operates (local, regional, national, and international). Thankfully, there are Adirondackers who do ask these questions, whom are deeply tapped into this issue, and seek to strengthen our regional system.

This Thursday, many of us will be sitting down with our family and friends to enjoy a big meal and good company. But before you sit down with your turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes, think about where exactly your food is coming from and what it took to bring your food from the field to your plate. This Thanksgiving season, we encourage you to buy local and support the many farms and businesses in the Adirondacks or in your local area.

The Adirondack Council has just concluded its second grant cycle for the Cool Farms/Healthy Park Micro-Grants Program, and what a successful second year it was!