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A Golden Ticket

Written by Megin Potter on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Sunflowers bring out the smiles during Dancing Grain Farm and Brewery’s autumn glory.

By: Megin Potter

Photos Curtesy of Dancing Grain

Sunflowers are happy flowers that have been cultivated for thousands of years. During this September’s Sunflower Festival, Dancing Grain Farm and Brewery is once again inviting the public to their 10 acres of sunflower fields in Moreau to delight in the one million bright blooms planted there. 

“This is not your average fall farm attraction. It’s about the land, the crops, and the products we’re making. I encourage everyone to come down and experience it for themselves,” said farm owner Rachel McDermott. 

Captivating the Senses

Sunflowers symbolize warmth and friendship while stimulating the imagination. Their cheery yellow heads pop out from the landscape in a satisfying show of color. Adding to their beauty, sunflower seeds are a tasty and nutritious snack for you and the birds. 

Sunflowers are also a short-season rotational crop that second-generation farmer Rachel McDermott planted in 2022 (the first season they opened Dancing Grain Farm and Brewery to the public). 

Building on the sustainability and production potential of the bountiful fields where malting barley is harvested for their diverse selection of beers, trial plots of buckwheat and sunflowers were planted to help protect the soil from wind and rain erosion, help to build organic matter, and improve overall health in the soil that becomes depleted by monocropping methods (that sustainable farming practices strive to remedy). 

Both crops did well despite a drought that brought only ½ inch of rain between July 10th and September 1st, stunting the sunflowers’ height. During the first week of September, nearly two inches of rain fell, bringing the fields to life – and the public to the farm in droves, said Rachel.

“That’s when I said, ‘We have to do sunflowers forevermore.’”

Settling In

With plenty of room to spread out, Dancing Grain Farm and Brewery grew to serve the large numbers of people flocking there, adding a second parking lot, signage, and other safety measures. 

This year, they’ve expanded their outdoor seating options to accommodate more than 265 people outdoors at solid wood picnic tables and on comfortable Adirondack-style chairs overlooking the harmony of color in the fields below. 

Planted in the first week of July, the oilseed sunflowers in Dancing Grain’s fields bloom 50 to 60 days after planting and reach maturity approximately a month later. Their single, large heads stand out next to the surrounding fields of grass, winter-hearty triticale (a super-grain that resembles wheat), and wildflowers including zinnias, dahlias, and branching sunflowers. 

During the Sunflower Festival, musicians including the Rich Clements Band fire-up the crowd from the “Wanda’s Wagon” stage, while they enjoy food from Tres Mijas of Glens Falls, Ted’s Fish Fry, Darling Donuts, and others. 

Families are encouraged to fly kites, explore the field trails at their leisure, pick sunflowers to bring home, and take pictures at the six photo prop stations. To avoid others profiting off the scenery without permission, no photo equipment (other than cell phones) is allowed in the fields without the purchase of a three-hour photographer’s pass. 

Drinking it Up

And, of course, there’s the beer. Crafted mainly from ingredients harvested on-site, these field-to-glass brews are a unique taste of the North Country. ‘Let Love Grow Wild’ with seasonal varieties including the complex rustic charm and wild spirit of “Farmer’s Daughter”; the rich, malty “Oktoberfest” with its sweet, smooth, chocolatey flavor; and the tartness of “Kiss My Peach”, made with 600 lbs of peaches hand-picked and hand-processed from Bowman Orchards in Clifton Park. 

“It’s a labor-intensive process, but you can definitely taste the difference,” said Rachel. For her, working a 12-hour day is considered a short shift. Dancing Grain’s staff is putting in extra hours this season, too, she said, all to ensure everyone who visits the farm has a wonderful time making lasting memories.  

Nourishing the Body and Soul

Every Sunday, the Sunflower Festival hosts yoga in the fields with Kristen Zorda, owner of Saratoga’s Yoga Mandali, and feature a rotating line of vendors at their Saturday Maker’s Markets, including on September 14th, Schuylerville’s Kickstart Café, roasters of a special Guatemalan blend coffee that gives Dancing Grains’ “Blonde Stout” its distinct character. 

“People hug me and say, ‘Thank you so much for being here and creating a space like this so close to our homes,’” said Rachel. “This is a place where people feel comfortable bringing family, friends, their children, and dogs. They want to be on the land that creates great beer.”

“We’re doing more than growing a commodity, we’re taking care of the land, nourishing the body and the soul.”

Taking the Chill Off

This Fall, Dancing Grain Farm and Brewery will be adding a trebuchet for pumpkin chucking, food from Carnivore BBQ, Cousin’s Maine Lobster, and more. Open year-round, as the weather cools, Dancing Grain, a Buffalo Bills Backers Bar, heats up with tailgating and watch parties. 

The newly launched Founder’s Club gives the public a front-row seat to all the action. Founders Club members are included in the next phase of the farm (finishing the barn to create a larger covered space that helps insulate Dancing Grain from seasonal weather shifts). 

“What I do out here requires a lot of faith and is based mostly on luck – when preparation meets opportunity. It’s hard to do what we do as farmers, being at the helm of Mother Nature, but it’s tremendously rewarding to see what we plan come to fruition. Because we’re so reliant on Mother Nature for a successful year, we believe in putting her first through regenerative farming and inviting the public to share in that process. We’re responsible for the world around us, let’s take care of it together, ” said Rachel. 

Dancing Grain Farm and Brewery, 180 Old West Road, Moreau, is open Wednesday 3pm – 8pm, Thursday & Friday 2pm – 9pm, Saturday 12pm – 9pm, and Sunday 12pm – 7pm. 

Sunflower Festival tickets include 5 PYO sunflower stems, $3/each additional.   Weds. & Thurs. $15, Fri. – Sun. $20. Children age 5 – 16 $10; under 5 FREE. 

For more information go to @ dancing_grain on Instagram, @dancinggrain on Facebook, email info@dancinggrain.com, and visit https://dancinggrain.com.

ASCEND Mental Wellness – East Side Center Carwash Fundraiser 

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Featured, Uncategorized.

ASCEND Mental Wellness’s East Side Center located at 230 Maple Street kicked off their East Side Center Carwash Fundraiser on Thursday, June 13th, 2024.  

This summer East Side Center will offer a $5.00 exterior carwash bi-weekly every Thursday through September 5th to help raise funds for our East Side Center’s – Adult Psychiatric Day Rehabilitation Program. The first carwash was successful with the help of East Side Center members and staff participating to help support mental wellness. 

Our adult psychiatric rehabilitation program supports personal growth and wellness through social, recreational, creative, learning, volunteerism, employment, and community participation opportunities. This program services adults 18 and older in Warren and Washington Counties. 

“We want to support our community by offering affordable car washes all summer long. Our members will learn valuable life skills while raising money to go back into their program. The money earned will go toward a large-scale fun community outing after all their hard work,” Danielle Weiss, Director of Support Services. 

Through fundraisers like this, we can continue to support individuals in our communities giving them the opportunities they need to thrive. 

You can join us on Thursday, July 11th, July 25th, August 8th, August 22nd, and September 5th from 10 AM to 12 PM at 230 Maple Street in Glens Falls, NY. The carwash entrance is located the Orchard Street parking lot. This event is cash only. 

Blue Collar StartUp – Episode 56: Second-Generation Advances at Cerrone Plumbing & HVAC

Written by Command on . Posted in Uncategorized.

In this episode, our hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster interview Joe Cerrone of Cerrone Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning!

Joe is the second person to head the operations of Cerrone, after his father… What advances did he bring to the business? What’s stayed the same? What did he learn along the way? Listen to this episode HERE to hear the answers, plus much more!

Great Business Owners Are Like… Octopuses?

Written by Wendy Waldron on . Posted in Business, Columns, Community, Featured, GFT Business Report, News, Uncategorized.

Great business owners are like octopuses. Surprised? But consider… Octopuses are intelligent. They are skilled at solving problems. They are strong. They are flexible. They respond rapidly to their environment. And, with their eight arms – which contain an astonishing two-thirds of their total neurons – they can multitask in a truly enviable way! The octopus, however, does something with those eight arms that many business owners neglect.

The octopus lets go.

Successful business owners are successful in large part because they, like the octopus, can do many things at once and do them very well. For instance, they can be great at making decisions and solving problems, innovating products and delivering services, capturing sales and building relationships, and more. The problem arises as the business grows: at some point, business owners cannot – and should not – do it all. If business owners insistently keep their “arms” in every area of the business, they ultimately end up limiting the success and sustainability of their treasured company.

Holding On Is Holding You Back
Here is a common scenario. A business owner has built a robust company, and the number of products, services, employees, customers, etc. have all expanded over time. In like manner, the leadership team has expanded. Finance, Sales, Marketing, Operations, and all the other functional areas are represented by men and women who are great at what they do.
The problem? They aren’t given the opportunity to show how great they really are. Sure, they handle day-to-day matters. Even some strategic issues. But the big decisions, the vision, the direction, the goals, the planning… all of that is controlled by the owner. His or her “arms” are everywhere at once.

Touching everything. Evaluating everything. Claiming everything. Leadership team meetings may have dialogue. The team members’ input may be requested. But the unspoken truth is that they are not a “leadership team.” They are a group of men and women who are there to carry out the intentions and decisions of the owner. Unsurprisingly, this type of situation is self-limiting for multiple reasons. These include:

  • Lack of scalability. A business owner – like an octopus – can do a lot with his or her “arms.” However, at some point, there’s just too much to do over too wide an area. When that juncture is reached, growth stops unless the owner lets go and lets others start doing what they were hired to do.
  • Lack of leaders. Leadership team members who are great at what they do want the opportunity to use their expertise and abilities. If the owner is preventing that because of his or her need for control, these great people will leave the company for better opportunities elsewhere.
  • Lack of succession. Most business owners want to retire eventually. However, when they do, they want the business they worked so hard to build up to thrive. How is that to occur if they have always kept their “arms” in everything and have not permitted other leaders to put into practice their full skills and capabilities?

Why don’t business owners follow the octopus’ example and let go? Ninety-nine percent of the time, it comes down to this: a desire for control, and a lack of trust. Now, this does not make the business owner a “bad” person. Incredibly kind, generous, caring, fantastic people may be reluctant to let go. After all, the business is their brainchild and represents years of intense effort and even sacrifice. It’s hard to trust others with something so precious! But releasing control and trusting others is necessary for the long-term health and well-being of the business.

5 Steps to Pull Back Your “Arms”
If you are a business owner who needs to pull back some of your “arms,” here are five steps to help you let go:

  • Engage in self-reflection. Ask yourself why you want to keep your “arms” in everything, how that is hampering forward progress, and what needs to change.
  • Cast a new vision. Cast a new vision for yourself and the company; a vision
    that highlights a healthy, engaged, active leadership team capable of bringing
    the business to new heights as a result of their combined abilities.
  • Give change a real shot. Saying something needs to change is one thing –
    doing it is another. So, take a deep breath and start to put in place new ways
    of interacting with and trusting your leadership team to help you run the
    business.
  • Accept that change is uncomfortable. As you let go, your “arms” will get
    twitchy, guaranteed! Keep them pulled back. Being uncomfortable is part of
    the process.
  • Cultivate a positive outlook. Believe that letting go will bring positive
    change and that the future is going to be even better than the past!

Remember, you have done a great job as a business owner bringing your company to where it is today. In the process, you undoubtedly learned new skills to overcome obstacles. Letting go is simply another skill. When you truly understand how letting go will help overcome obstacles that are preventing your business from continuing its upward trajectory, it will become easier to retract your “arms.” Once you do, there is no limit to the success your business can achieve!

Do you need help in letting go? Contact me today: www.eosworldwide.com/wendy-waldron

I’ll work with you and your leadership team to move toward an outstanding future!

Blue Collar StartUp – Episode 47: Ownership vs. Management – Dimitri’s Story

Written by Command on . Posted in Uncategorized.

In this episode, our hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster interview Dimitri Skrinik, the Project Manager at MODS National!

Dimitri’s had an exciting journey, between emigrating from Moldova, leveraging internships into running his own blue collar business… And then leaving it to manage construction projects using shipping containers! Why did he choose Project Management over business ownership? What have his experiences taught him? Hear the answers, his story, and more here, in this episode!

Listen to the episode HERE!

Blue Collar StartUp – Episode 34: Mike McGrath (1-800-Paint-Job)

Written by Command on . Posted in Featured, Media, Uncategorized.

In this episode, our host Mike Nelson and visionary founder Derek Foster interview Mike McGrath, the head honcho at 1-800-Paint-Job! Mike overcame plenty of struggles to get where he is, and faces more every day… But no challenge is too great for a Blue Collar worker! Hear about his struggles and successes here, in this stellar episode! Listen to the episode HERE!

LARAC’s June Arts Festival

Written by Kate Haggerty on . Posted in Community, Featured, In the Arts, Uncategorized.

The annual Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council (LARAC) June Arts Festival will be held June 17th & 18th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM… Rain or shine! This is the 52nd Annual June Arts Festival, and it will be held in Glens Falls City Park on Maple Street in Glens Falls. 

This is a juried outdoor arts and crafts festival featuring over 100 artists and musicians! There will be jewelry, fine art, textiles, home & garden decor, ands even specialty foods.

LARAC’s mission is to enrich the quality of life in Warren, Washington, and Northern Saratoga County by supporting arts and culture. This nonprofit organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that works to support art and culture through sponsorship, networking, and providing art activities and services. 

LARAC was founded in 1972 to unify the arts community and establish a cultural identity for the region. It supports local artists and local art traditions while cultivating the community vision of what art is, and how it enriches our lives.

For more information visit larac.org

Paul Morcone Appointed Next Big Cross Principal

Written by Kate Haggerty on . Posted in Community, Education, Featured, Uncategorized.

For the 2023–2024 school year, Big Cross Street Elementary School will have a new principal – the Glens Falls Board of Education appointed Paul Morcone, who will take over from current Big Cross Principal Debbie Hall, who is retiring after 29 years as a Principal, Chief Information Officer, and Teacher.

Mr. Morcone comes to Glens Falls from Mary J. Tanner Elementary School in Granville, where he has worked for the past five years as principal. Prior to that, Mr. Morcone served as the Pre-K-12 assistant principal in Stillwater, New York. He also spent 13 years teaching at the elementary level in the Shenendehowa and Hoosic Valley Central School District. 

“It is an honor to become part of Glens Falls Nation. It is exciting to be able to partner with the families, faculty staff and community of Big Cross Elementary. I look forward to collaborating with various stakeholders to ensure that safety, academics, and student needs are met. My family and I are embracing this opportunity and excited for this journey,” Morcone said. 

Mary J. Tanner Elementary School will be welcoming Breanne Taylor as their new Principal, who is taking over for Mr. Morcone. She joins the Granville School District from North Colonie, where she worked with a diverse community and developed a new curriculum. 

Paul Morcone will take over at Big Cross following in the footsteps of Principal Debbie Hall, who was appointed to the position in August of 2008… Debbie Hall had been a student at Big Cross during her elementary years. 2008 was a big year for Debbie Hall – that year, she became the first woman inducted into the Glens Falls Athletic Club’s Hall of Fame, for excelling as both a four-sport athlete and an outstanding coach.

As one of the first initiatives to begin his tenure, Mr. Morcone will be working with Big Cross faculty members on instructional programs. During his tenure at Mary J. Tanner Elementary, he led research-based implementation of ELA and math programs, and hopes to do the same for the Big Cross community. 

LGA Welcomes Home Lake George Native Nancy Hawley As Director Of Marketing and Communications

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured, Uncategorized.

Few family names are as synonymous with Lake George and its protection as Hawley… Now, that proud family tradition is entering a new era, as the Lake George Association has named Lake George native and longtime New York City publishing and digital marketing executive Nancy Hawley as Director of Marketing and Communications for the Lake’s preeminent protection organization.

Ms. Hawley is the daughter of the late Ruth and Charles “Chuck” Hawley, a descendant of one of the founding families of the Town of Lake George – which was then known as Caldwell. Mr. Hawley served three decades as a Commissioner of the Lake George Park Commission (the New York State agency charged with protecting the Lake), including a decade as Chairman; he also served as Supervisor of the Town of Lake George. Professionally, Mr. Hawley ran Hawley Advertising, and personally, he was an acclaimed landscape and portrait painter, whose work chronicled the history and celebrated the beauty of the Queen of American Lakes.

“I just keep thinking how happy my Dad would be,” Ms. Hawley said of her new role. “I was keenly aware of how much he cared about Lake George and how hard he worked to protect it. I am incredibly fortunate to have grown up in such a special place and to be able to come home again,” Ms. Hawley added. “The Lake was always like an extension of our family, and I couldn’t be more passionate or more excited to put my experience to work for its protection.”

“Nancy is a world-class addition to our world-class protection team,” said LGA President Eric Siy. “Her marketing acumen will help us engage with, educate, and motivate our stakeholders toward protection in new and exciting ways, and her lifelong ties to the Lake will resonate loudly and clearly with everyone who shares her love for this incredible natural resource and regional economic driver.”

After graduating from Lake George High School, Ms. Hawley earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Curry College in Milton, MA, and entered the magazine publishing industry. In 1998, with digital publishing in its relative infancy, she was named managing editor of Condé Nast’s Epicurious.com, beginning a digital career that later took her to Time, Inc., Time Inc. Interactive, and Martha Stewart Living Omni media. In 2011, Ms. Hawley joined SYPartners, a business strategy and innovation consulting firm, to lead the launch of “Unstuck,” an interactive personal coaching tool designed to help people solve difficult work and life challenges. Most recently, she served as a content consultant for such high-profile brands as Apple Inc., Kellogg’s, Oprah, Starbucks, and Weight Watchers.

Throughout her career in New York City, Ms. Hawley retained close ties to Lake George and, in 2000, purchased a cabin in the town, where she now resides full-time. In her new role, Ms. Hawley is responsible for advancing the mission and programs of the LGA through the development and execution of a data-driven, integrated marketing and communications strategy to reach key stakeholders and partners, including property owners, donors, government entities, businesses, and the news media. Central to this effort will be the marketing of the Lake Protector Program, which utilizes a broad array of data to educate and empower property owners across the watershed to take direct actions to reduce the impacts of stormwater, wastewater, and other water quality threats.

As part of the program, an innovative new digital app has been created that equips both residents and visitors with their own Personal Protection Profile upon signing up as Lake Protectors: “I’m excited to use my decades of marketing and communications expertise to help people, particularly property owners, understand how urgent it is that we protect Lake George from escalating threats like harmful algal blooms and the hemlock woolly adelgid invasive insect,” Ms. Hawley said. “Our top priority is to create a groundswell of understanding that delivers a groundswell of protective actions on the part of property owners, businesses, municipalities, and visitors.”

The Lake George Association is the preeminent Lake-protection organization, providing technical and financial assistance to property owners; world-class research and direct protection programs through The Jefferson Project, the Lake George Waterkeeper, and an array of public-private partnerships; public education programs; and public policy advocacy, all with the goal of protecting the Lake’s water quality today and for the future.

For more information, please visit LakeGeorgeAssociation.org.

Section 2 Boys Basketball Time Changes Due to Expected Inclement Weather

Written by Kate Haggerty on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Due to the incoming winter weather, Section 2 has moved up the times of both scheduled games at the Cool Insuring Arena:

4:00 PM: Class C Final – Duanesburg vs. Hoosic Valley

5:30 PM: Class CC Final – Stillwater vs. Chatham

Duanesburg beat Berne-Knox (58-33), and Hoosic Valley downed Warrenburg (67-36) to advance. Stillwater showed Greenwich the exit (61-50), and Chatham showed no mercy against Voorheesville (77-55) to advance.

The City of Glens Falls is monitoring the weather for Saturday, in case it impacts the Section 2 Tournament and other scheduled Saturday activities within the City of Glens Falls.