Farming is crucial to our local economy. There are more than 6,000 farms in the Adirondack North Country region, which are contributing to the $4 billion in annual agriculture product sales statewide, and providing local foods for our communities.

ANCA aims to help build a sustainable local food economy and better food security and access to fresh food for all income groups across the region.  Increasing the prosperity of local farmers is a central goal, achieved in part through building local food demand across the region.
Whether you are  a livestock farmer looking to implement a rotational grazing plan or a family looking for access to more local food, our programs and networks can help. USDA’s Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) was founded to provide high quality technical assistance on privately owned grazing lands and to increase the awareness of the importance of grazing-land resources. ANCA has been an administrator of the program since 1999 and works annually with more than 75 producers in 12 counties.
Are you a fan of eating locally? Strengthening access to fresh, locally produced food for consumers makes sense not only for health reasons, but also to grow and sustain our local economies. ANCA is working in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension, and other partners to help establish a sustainable local food system, and to ensure better food security across the region.

Resources for farmers

•    Northern New York Agriculture Development Program: A farmer-driven initiative that focuses on practical research, education and technical assistance to support farms, agricultural businesses and the communities in which they reside across New York’s North Country (Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.)
•    Funding opportunities for energy efficiency projects: New York State Energy Research Development Authority’s agriculture programs page.

Looking for local food?

•    Adirondack Harvest: A directory of Adirondack Harvest members, which consist of farms, farmers’ markets and restaurants which serve locally grown foods in the northeast and northwest of the Adirondack North Country (Lake Champlain, High Peaks, St. Lawrence Valley – counties of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Warren and St. Lawrence counties).
•    Gardenshare: Information on CSA farms, farmers markets and farm stands, and other food resources for the St. Lawrence Valley.
•    Adirondack Farmers Markets: Directory of markets in the northeast, southeast and central Adirondacks

Farmland conservation

•    American Farmland Trust: By collaborating with diverse groups from across the state, including farmers, environmentalists, local food and hunger relief advocates, land trusts and state and local governments, American Farmland Trust’s New York office supports agricultural businesses, helps protect farmland, builds farm-friendly communities, and brings home the local food and local farmland connection for all New Yorkers.
•    USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: NRCS works with landowners through conservation planning and assistance to benefit the soil, water, air, plants, and animals for productive lands and healthy ecosystems.

Related reading:

•    Cornell University Foodshed Mapping Tool for New York State: This project investigated the capacity of agricultural land to meet the food needs of New York State’s population centers.
•    Cornell Uihlein Sugar Maple Research and Field Station: http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/Uihlein/uihlein.htm