A model school merger for the Adirondacks
By Melissa Hart
December 23, 2019
Despite enrollment declines and state incentives to combine districts,school mergers are uncommon in the Adirondacks and rural New York..
Melissa Hart
Melissa is a journalist with experience as a reporter and editor, combined with work for nonprofits. As the Explorer's digital editor, she serves as editor of Adirondack Almanack.(com) and helps manage the Explorer's website. When not online, she enjoys hiking, camping and other outdoors activities, and spending time with her husband, their twin daughters, and rescue animals -- two dogs and two cats. Sign up for Melissa’s newsletter
Happy holidays
By Melissa Hart
December 1, 2019
Wishing you a locavore New Year! We’ve taken a bit of a break for the holidays, to spend time with family, relax and recharge. There are plenty of stories in the works for 2020, so stay tuned and please feel free to contribute ideas of coverage you’d like to see. This time of year is…
Happy Thanksgiving!
By Melissa Hart
November 26, 2019
MAKE IT: A tip for using leftovers Happy Turkey (or vegetarian equivalent) Day! Here’s a tip for using up the leftovers, courtesy of the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid: https://www.highpeaksresort.com/day-after-thanksgiving-pie
Fledging Crow looks to scale back operations
By Melissa Hart
November 20, 2019
After 10+ years, Keeseville vegetable farm is weighing its options Like many small business owners, farmers need to find that “sweet spot” of growing/producing enough to make a profit, on a scale that’s manageable. And as Ian Ater of Fledging Crow, a vegetable farm in Keeseville, is finding out, bigger doesn’t always mean better. Years…
Make it: Honey Ginger Thai Chili
By Melissa Hart
November 11, 2019
Featuring Rachel’s Raquette Lake Elixir Meet local food entrepreneur Rachel Pohl. Born and raised in Raquette Lake, NY, when she was 11, her parents Dean and Donna, decided they were going to build a dinner boat and go into the food service business. The ship’s hull came in two pieces and her dad, along with…
A ‘Good Husbandry’ celebration
By Melissa Hart
November 8, 2019
Kristin Kimball to read from, sign new book at Grange event From the Whallonsburg Grange: The new book by Essex Farm’s Kristin Kimball is out!. Come join the community-wide celebration of Good Husbandry: Growing Food, Love and Family on Essex Farm, all of our farms and local food, and this small corner of the world.…
ANCA secures $100,000 for local farms
By Melissa Hart
November 6, 2019
Aims to match it in fundraising; applications for farm grants due Nov. 30 Looking ahead into 2020, the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) is setting some big goals to help local farms grow. The nonprofit, which has a mission to “catalyze sustainable economic development across the Adirondack North Country and enhance the quality of life…
Farm Tour and Beef Producer Discussion
By Melissa Hart
October 28, 2019
Wednesday, Nov.13, 2019, 3-5 PM Beef producers as well as the larger agricultural community are invited to a free farm tour at the East Adirondack Cattle Company, owned and operated by Greg Weber. Greg is an independent nutrition consultant, for both dairy and beef operations. He currently has about 60 Black Angus cattle. Greg will…
North Country creamery tries crowdfunding
By Melissa Hart
October 24, 2019
Increasingly, a number of northern New York farms are giving equity crowdfunding a try, using a grassroots online platform called Kiva. With a tagline of “loans that change lives,” Kiva showcases projects from around the world, many of which are agriculture based.
North Country Creamery gives crowdfunding a try
By Melissa Hart
October 22, 2019
When looking for capital to put toward improvement projects, the region’s up-and-coming generation of farmers often turn to their supporters for assistance, using crowd-based funding platforms. If you’ve ever given online to a campaign, you’re probably familiar with the two main types: rewards-based (such as Kickstarter.com), where you contribute money toward a project and, depending…