Eco-LOCAL Living magazine Spring 2010

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INSIDE THIS ISSUEGREEN TEEN…………………………………….…….….Page 6

THE WELLNESS DOCVitamins are Good for you-Who Knew?……….……Page 7

NEWS and VIEWS……………………………….…….…Page 8

SPRING Eco LOCALIZERSaratoga Winery – Accentuating Local Character……………….…….………Page 10

MONEY MATTERSShareholder AdvocacySpeak and Be Heard……………………….……………Page 13

ASK THE ENERGY EXPERTSpring into Action to Combat Heat Loss…….…………Page 14

Eco-Fashion: A Cure for Sensitive Skin………….………Page 15

LOCAL IDEARadical Homemaker……………………………….…….…Page 16

LOCAL FOODSteve Rascher-The Man That Maple Made…….…….……Page 20

LOCAL STYLEGreen Hair-Going Organic is for your Head, too….……Page 23

Solar Energy and Historic PreservationA Sensible Solution?………………………….…….………Page 24

Washington County Tourism……………………….…….Page 28

BUY LOCALLocal Money Means Local Business…………….…….……Page 30

Nutitional Supplement Access………………….…….…….Page 32

GeoEngineering Technique Solar Radiation Management....Page 34

Directory of Advertisers……….…….…….……….…….……Page 38

Spring 2010The winter that wasn’t is finally waning here in the Northeast,and thoughtsturn to Spring and the ensuing warmth that it will bring. With the warmthcomes the annual ritual of the running of the maple sap. The Upper HudsonValley woods come alive with activity, as maple men and women set theirtaps to gather up nature’s nectar,and boil it down to create maple syrup andother maple delicacies. If you haven’t witnessed the maple run for yourself,then now it the time to do it. The Maple Weekend Open House is scheduledfor March 20 & 21,and 27 & 28. The sugarhouses of the region are openingtheir doors for you to see this annual ritual up close and personal. It’s asensation of sights and sounds,but most importantly,flavors. Nothing beatsfresh made maple syrup poured over a stack of pancakes, and many of theproducers on the tour will be serving up a portion just for you. You justgotta go! See our Maple Page for a sampling of participating locations.

Speaking of maple, we feature a story about the Man that Maple Made.Smitten by the maple bug as a child, Steve Rascher of Salem has mademaple perfection his life’s work. He is one of the original tree huggers,embracing stewardship of the forest long before it became a trendyenvironmentalist moniker.

Another kind of bug has bitten our cover feature – that being the wine bug.Rich Nimmo and his wife Tara have been making wine for their ownconsumption for a number of years, and friends and family suggested thatthey produce it commercially so that more people could enjoy it. It’s not asimple task to go from producing a few cases a year to now makinghundreds. But the Nimmo’s have never flinched at taking on a newchallenge. Check out their story by Amy Stock within, and we’ll see you atthe winery (it’s already become a favorite stop for the locals, yours trulyincluded).

Starting any kind of business can be a daunting task,and finding the moneyto make it happen can be very difficult. Banks are hesitant to underwritenew ventures. If you don’t have a rich uncle who left you a pile of cash, thenwhere can you go? Fortunately, there is a local source, funded by localpeople who just may want to make your dream a reality. I am talking aboutthe Capital District Loan Fund, an alternative financial source that hasspecialized in helping unique business concepts get off the ground, orexpand to meet their demand. This is an example of the “Slow Money”we’ve talked about in past in past issues. It’s local investors who are puttingtheir faith and capital into local projects, where they can not only reap aprofit, but take direct interest and support for the business ventures righthere where they live. It’s the kind of financial stewardship that grows acommunity, and helps entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. Tracy Frischgives us a closer look at some of the benefactors of the CDLF,and how theirdreams are coming true.

What’s encouraging about all the stories in this Spring edition is that theyare all evidence that, despite the national economic woes of the recession,there is still great opportunity for people to do what they love to do andmake a vocation out of it. In fact, it is the best hope for our economy - forindividuals to take control of their destiny by turning their passion into acash-in of their talents and skills. Successful local entrepreneurs create local

jobs, and the community enjoysthe circulating cash flow. Is it yourturn this year? Don’t wait for the jobmarket to turn around; make thejob market turn around by makingthat product or delivering thatservice that you know thecommunity wants and needs. Whoknows, you may be the next eco-local success story to grace ourcover. Remember…we are theeconomy.We are local. We are eco-local!

- David DeLozierPublisher

“Ready for the April showers”

Meet Rich and Tara Nimmo of TheSaratoga Winery, the eco-localizers forthis Spring edition of eco-LOCALLiving. The Nimmo’s had the audacityto start a new business in the middle ofwhat some pundits are calling the“Great Recession.” Starting a newbusiness can be a stressful endeavor,but apparently that wasn’t enough forthese two - Tara just gave birth to theirfirst baby! And, to complicate mattersfurther, the two entrepreneurs actuallymake the product they sell, which in this case, is wine. Crazy, you mightsay? Maybe, but the Nimmo’s are undaunted by the challenges theyhave taken on. It is what makes their enterprise so special. They’veconverted an old barn on Route 29 into a wine and specialty foodsemporium,where most everything is sourced locally and regionally, rightdown to the broad white pine bar where the main event, the winetasting, takes place. And despite the recession all around, the Nimmo’senterprise has seen great success. Their grand opening was an overflowhit, and weekends are filled to capacity with eager wine connoisseurs.Rich, with his boundless energy, explains each wine’s character with thepride only a vintner can deliver, while Tara makes sure the place runssmoothly and everyone is happy. And it seems to be workingwonderfully! Their convenient location just west of Saratoga Springs hasalso become a magnet for locally crafted food specialties. The Nimmo’shave personally selected all the products, which have their own uniquestory to tell. And if you have a few minutes, Rich will be glad to tell it toyou. In its short time of existence, The Saratoga Winery has proven thata local enterprise can succeed, even in difficult economic times. And bycollaborating with and supporting other local enterprises, thecommunity as a whole will thrive!


On the Cover

Spring 2010 • Issue 13

PUBLISHER / SALES / MARKETINGDavid Delozier 518-858-6866 [email protected]

DESIGN / PRODUCTIONCenterline Design 518-883-3872

COVER PHOTOGRAPHERRich and Tara Nimmo of The Saratoga Winery,By Tom Stock of Stock Studios Photography

CONTRIBUTORSVanessa Baird, Pat Maloney, Harry Moran, Amy Stock, Olya Prevo,

Tracy Frisch, Shannon Hayes, Bonnie Hoag, Dr. Michael Quartararo,Kathleen Quartararo, Mary Beth Mc Cue

ADDRESSES38 Tamarack Trail Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

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By reading and supporting Ecolocal you become part of our team - and help thegreater community of the Upper Hudson Valley become a healthier place to live,work and play. Please tell our advertisers you saw them here. Ecolocal Living ispublished bi-monthly & distributed free of charge to over 300 locations within a 50mile radius of Saratoga Springs, NY. Ecolocal Living does not guarantee nor warrantyany products, services, of any advertisers nor will we be party to any legal or civilproceedings to do with any advertisers. We expect advertisers to honor any advertisedclaims or promises. Ecolocal Living will not knowingly accept any advertisement thatis deemed misleading or fraudulent. We reserve the right to revise, edit and/or rejectany and all advertising with or without issuing a reason or cause.We will not publishany article or advertisement that is contrary to the best interest of this publication. Wereserve the right to edit articles if needed for content, clarity and relevance.


We use recycled-content paper and water-based ink.Please pass onto a friend when done reading.

GREEN TEENRecently my parents and I went to the Farmers Market in Saratoga.

One thing that I liked at this farmers market is that they just don't sellyour regular fruits and veggies, but they also sell other things like jewelryand hand knit hats. And when I went, there was even live music!

When I think of a farmers market I thinkof a farmer wearing a plaid shirt andoveralls selling his home grown food/crops.But that is not the case at all! There are allsorts of people selling many different things.There was a woman selling different kindsof jewelry. Another guy was selling potatochips-some of which were made frompotatoes that were also being sold at themarket. (BTW they were really good!) Therewas a woman selling some yarn and knittedwinter hats that looked really cool---andwarm at the same time! Still another tablehad freshly baked bread rolls and pastries.

I have also noticed that the farmer's market food tastes better thanthe food that comes from the grocery store, it's a lot fresher. Also whenwe go to the market were always talking with the farmers and peopleselling the items, they always have something to share, whether it's arecipe or a tip.

The farmers market is a great place to buy locally made goods. A fewtimes my parents even bought me breakfast there. I think it was areward for getting up early to help them shop - Warm apple cider donuts- definitely worth it!

If you have a an idea for being greener,or a local company or store you love letme know! I want to hear from [email protected]

VANESSA BAIRD is a local teen livinggreen. She thinks that's just great as long as having a green life doesn'tmean giving up 'having a life.' She'd love to hear what other teens are doing to be green. You can email her [email protected].


At the Farmers Market


It was bound to happen!Medicine has caught up with thenotion that proper nutrition andhealthy lifestyle choices help yourbody fight disease. The latest cure allfor most disease that medicine“discovered”, Vitamin D. If I soundbitter it's because I am. I have beenin practice for over 16 yearseducating my community that takinga wellness approach to their healthis far superior to fighting diseasewith drugs and surgery and nowdoctors are claiming they“discovered” that Vitamins have ahealth benefit. Even though that is avery true statement and one couldlook at this “latest discovery” as anadvancement in medical science, Iwould like to be the voice of all mycolleagues, patients, and anyonewho has chosen to live their lives ina holistic way by saying “DUHHHH”.Now that that is out of the way Iwould like to share information onvitamin D and it's benefits. How toget it, how much do you need, andwhy it's so important. Keep in mind,I am coming from a standpoint ofhaving proper nutrition (vitamin Dlevels) for proper body function andnot from a treatment of diseasestandpoint. That may sound likesemantics but it's very important tounderstand that EVERYONE shouldhave proper Vitamin D, B, C, E, etc...in their bodies regardless of andcondition they have or don't have.

Let's start with some science.The latest research out of the UC SanDiego School of Medicine says:

• Some 600,000 cases of breastand colorectal cancers could beprevented each year if vitamin Dlevels among populationsworldwide were increased,according to previous research by Dr.Garland and colleagues. And that'sjust counting the death toll for twotypes of cancer.

• Optimizing your vitamin Dlevels could help you to prevent atleast 16 different types of cancerincluding pancreatic, lung, ovarian,prostate, and skin cancers.

• A large-scale, randomized,placebo-controlled study on vitaminD and cancer showed that vitamin Dcan cut overall cancer risk by asmuch as 60 percent! This was suchgroundbreaking news that theCanadian Cancer Society hasactually begun endorsing thevitamin as a cancer-preventiontherapy.

• Light-skinnedwomen who hadhigh amounts oflong-term sunexposure had halfthe risk of developingadvanced breastcancer (cancer thatspreads beyond yourbreast) as womenwith lower amountsof regular sunexposure, accordingto a study in theAmerican Journal ofEpidemiology.

• A study by Dr. William Grant,Ph.D., internationally recognizedresearch scientist and vitamin Dexpert, found that about 30 percentof cancer deaths -- which amountsto 2 million worldwide and 200,000in the United States -- could beprevented each year with higherlevels of vitamin D.

Even more exciting evidenceshows that the type of cancer is notthat important because vitamin Dplays a key role in the developmentof ALL types of cancer. Once againthis is proof that having the rightnutrients in your body at all timesallows your body to functionproperly and avoid MOST diseasesthat exist today. But wait doc, notheart disease, that's from being fatand being lazy and genetics right?

WRONG! Research shows thatvitamin D drastically lowers your riskof heart disease. Women who takevitamin D supplements lower theirrisk of death from heart disease byone-third. Low levels of vitamin D inthe blood have previously beencorrelated with higher risk of heart

disease and heart attacks. Dr. Paul D.Varosy set out to determine if takingvitamin D supplements decreasesthis risk. His team analyzed datafrom nearly 10,000 women over theage of 65 who were enrolled in astudy of how often osteoporosiscauses broken bones. Of these, morethan 4,200 women reported that

they took vitamin Dsupplements at thetime of the study,and another 733reported a priorhistory ofsupplement use.After following thewomen for anaverage of nearly 11years, researchersfound that the riskof heart diseasedeath was 31%lower in thosewomen who weretaking vitamin D at

the time of the study. Theresearchers note that calciumsupplements, education, self-reported health status or health-related behaviors had no effect onthe protection afforded by vitamin D.

So it's clear you need vitamin Dand you can avoid the big killerdiseases if you have enough. Howmuch is enough? Based on thelatest research the recommendeddosage is 35 units per pound of bodyweight. However it is important tounderstand we get most of ourvitamin D from sunlight. That's right,it's so important that your body can

make it, pretty cool. So whendetermining how much you shouldsupplement, factors such asexposure to sunlight and skin tonemust be considered. The only wayto know what your vitamin D countis, is by getting a blood test. Yourresults should be between 50-65ng/ml. Once you know your levelyou can adjust your intake and/orsun exposure accordingly. Researchhas found that most people make20,000 units of vitamin D underregular sun exposure, summer time.That being said and accounted for Irecommend 5,000 units per day.That will help 90% of the peoplereading this article. 10% may needto take a super dose of 30,000 unitsfor 2-3 weeks to build up theirblood vitamin D levels and thentaper back to 5,000/day. By theway, another extra-ordinary bodyfunction is you can't reallyoverdose on vitamin D. While theUVB rays of the sun producevitamin D in your skin the UVA raysof the sun tend to destroy anyexcess vitamin D circulating in yourblood. Isn't nature awesome!

So what have doctors reallydiscovered? Vitamins are good foryou! We don't need random clinicaltrials to convince us and we don'tneed to spend more money toprove it scientifically. Eat welleveryday, move a little each day,and keep yours thoughts positiveand healthly, you'll be surprisedwhat your body can protect itselffrom. Until next time, Be Well…

The Wellness Doc

By Dr. Michael Quartararo

The Wellness DocVitamins are good for you... who knew?


News and ViewsKimberly Martin becomes EcoBroker® Certified

Roohan Realty is known as theSaratoga Springs based real estatecompany with the big green signs. Thesigns are not the only thing greenabout Roohan, as they have justannounced that Kimberly Martin,Licensed Sales Associate with theCompany, has achieved the EcoBroker®

Certified designation. She is one of

only a few in the Capital District regionto have earned Ecosociate™ status.EcoBroker® is recognized as thepremiere green designation for realestate professionals. It is designed toeducate so agents can help clientsmarket properties with green features,save money and live comfortably,through energy efficiency andenvironmentally sensitive choices.Kimberly explains, “I now haveadditional training on the energy andenvironmental issues that affect realestate transactions. There aretremendous green resources availablein the market, and as part of my servicecommitment to my clients I can nowhelp them identify and make sense ofthese invaluable green opportunities.Personally, when I first made thedecision to pursue a career in realestate I wanted to approach it from agreen perspective. My interest stemsfrom a simple desire to make the worlda healthier place for myself and myfamily. The EcoBroker® Certificationrequires an upfront educational

investment as well as ongoing annualtraining to stay current and thatappealed to me because of the rapidlyevolving nature of the field.”Martin recently purchased aninvestment property home and isrenovating with many “green”features such as low VOC flooring,Energy Star appliances & Low-Ewindows, spray foam windowinsulation in addition to R21 wall &R38 ceiling insulation, Energy Star95% AFUE rated furnace, and more.“My mother has remodeled her homein Arcata, California with greenconstruction techniques,” said Martin.It's now on the California Tour ofGreen Homes. “I was so impressedwith her results that I wanted toremodel my investment property in asimilar fashion,” she said.Green homes are an emerging markethere in this region and Martin seesgreat potential for the future. “The bigconcern right now is energyefficiency,” explains Martin. “Peopleare walking into our office and they

are asking for Energy Star ratedhomes,” she said. There's a growingdemand for sustainable sourcedmaterials as well. Eco Brokers likeMartin are trained in the full spectrumof “green-ness,” so they can helpsellers market their homes to thisattractive buyer niche. Energy Starhomes achieve a high level of energyefficiency, and tend to commandbetter sales prices that comparablehomes without the rating.

Martin is the first Eco Broker at RoohanRealty to achieve this designation and sheis excited to roll out the program inSaratoga Springs. “Roohan is really leadingthe way as a “green” Realty company,”explains Martin. “They've gone throughour offices and integrated systems forrecycling, reducing paper consumption, andlighting efficiency. Now with the Eco Brokerprogram, we can help our clients to gogreen when buying or selling their home!”

Martin holds her Bachelors Degree inPsychology from Humboldt State University.Kimberly and her husband Chris have twochildren- Kylee (6 1/2) and Wyatt (5) andlive in Wilton. She can be reached at587.4500 or [email protected].

What are we for? I know a gazillionthings we are against…..There seems to be an abundance ofagainst these days – and I am onlyreferring to what we see everyday,surrounding us. The war on drugs, jointhe fight against breast cancer, marchfor hunger, walk for AIDS, MADD, SADD,anti-abortion… this list of what to beagainst and what to fight is seeminglyendless! Several adages promote adifferent kind of focus.What do you think about?About…EXPANDS! You get what youask for. If you think you can or youcan’t, you’re right. Seek and you shallfind.Your thoughts CREATE YOUR REALITY– not the other way around! Sincebeing against something does notoffer a clear focus of positive action orresponse, I wonder… what wouldbeing FOR something do? There hasbeen an anti-war movement for aslong as I can remember, and there arestill wars. The war on drugs has beenraging for years and yet substance

abuse is stronger and morewidespread than ever with an evenwider variety of abused drugs.The fightagainst cancer seems to have onlyproduced more cancer and more drugsto do more fighting against morecancer.Would a shift in attention make adifference? I have learned this much –when my dog barks, and I yell at himto stop, he keeps barking. When I callhim to me and pet him, he stops.Whenmy children are arguing and I ask themto stop, they justify their actions andposition, all the while bickering! WhenI ask them to help me with somethingor give them a job, they do it andforget about the fight.If our focus continues to be on what wedon’t want, how will we ever have timeto create what we do want? How manymore laws should there be, telling uswhat we cannot do? As the fight continues the focus on thesymptom, the root cause does not getaddressed. Could you imagine beingagainst your car engine seizing up?

FIGHT ENGINE SEIZE UP!! Our carsseem to be all we are consistently (attimes religiously) able to proactivelytake care of to avoid known issues.Wechange the oil, rotate the tires and getregular tune ups. We use high gradegasoline, additives that increasemileage and improve engineperformance. We buy tires that areable to grip the road and carry ussafely. All advertising focuses onspecific action to take to have asmooth running and safe vehicle.Thereare maintenance books andbusinesses solely devoted to vehiclemaintenance. Prevention is themantra. Now I’m just sayin’…. Howabout doing that for our community?For our social consciousness andawareness? We have everything we need at ourdisposal.. now if we can create publicacceptance. YOWZA!! How about starting with a list of whatwe are FOR? How about taking actionto DO rather than taking a standagainst? If we stay busy fighting the

symptom,when will we ever have timeto alleviate the root cause? What ARE we for??? Safe attentive driving - moderation -taking responsibility for our actions -an active lifestyle - eating for nutritionand health - helping our friends andneighbors - respect for ourenvironment - practicing random actsof kindness - letting the other guy gofirst - deep breathing - clear air -ethical action - teaching our children tobe self reliant - caring about how wefeel - picking up after ourselves -leaving things better than how wefound them…. I am flashing backnow… I think I am starting to list “Allthe things I need to know I learned inKindergarten” if we decide to live withintention, if we are mindful of what wedo, what we choose, and where weplace our attention,WOW. Really now,THAT would make a difference. Thatwould be cool. WAY COOL.

Kathleen is the owner of Virgil’s House, at49 Henry St., Saratoga Springs.

What, for? By Kathleen Quartararo



The Saratoga Winery – Accentuating Local CharacterSpring Eco-Localizer

Blood Root, Hillbilly Mountain Mash,Saratoga Spitfire - no, these aren't thenames of race horses, they're the names ofsome of Saratoga Winery's new “micro”wines, and they've been selling fast since thewinery opened in October 2009.

Since that time, owners Rich and TaraNimmo have been kept busy. Said Rich,“From day one the winery was a hit.” Over1,000 people came through the winery ontheir opening weekend. “We've tripled thebusiness that we projected. Our openingday we sold 99 bottles of wine, and betweenOctober 1st and Christmas we sold 6,500bottles.”

Starting a new small business during a majoreconomic downturn was risky - but for Richand Tara, it was an educated risk they wereeager to take. Said Tara, “You have to takesmart risks, educate yourself. We feltSaratoga needed something and we thoughtit was a winery. We were willing to take aneducated risk. “ Rich added, “Even during

an economic downturn, people still buy anddrink wine. Worse case scenario - we'll havea lot of wine.”

The winery is located in a formergarden/farm stand on Rt 29, which they areleasing to own. “We've always beenopportunists,” said Tara. They own twoother service businesses in the area.

“We want to run a good local business,provide a really good product and a greatexperience,” said Rich. He added, “Whatmakes us unique from other wine sellers isany wine we have on the shelf you can taste.So, you're guaranteed to like the bottle youbuy.”

A testament to their success, “The tastingbar is always full,” commented Rich.However, their success may stem from theirwillingness to follow their passion formaking wine.

Rich and Tara learned the art of wine makingfrom Rich's Uncle, who lives in ruralPennsylvania and has been bottling winesince the 1970's - he currently bottlesaround 50,000 per year. Said Rich, “Hereally showed us start to finish working withgrapes.” His uncle passed down to themtheir signature melomel recipe - an all-natural sulfite-free wine made from grapesand honey. His uncle received the recipefrom an old Hungarian man. According toRich, they are the only winery in the regionmaking this version of the centuries oldwine.

“Making wine is something we've alwaysenjoyed,” said Rich. “We always made winein our basement. It got to the point wherewe were giving so much away people said tous, 'why don't you just open a winery?'”

The Nimmo's thought opening a winerywould be something they would do in their40's. However, when Rich was diagnosedwith cancer in 2008 they decided, “why waituntil 40 - nothing's a given.”

Said Tara, “Rich's cancer gave us more of amotivation to follow our dream and do whatwe enjoyed.” She continued, “We alwaysknew we were going to do it we just didn'tknow it would be this fast.”

After his surgery, the first words Rich spoketo his wife Tara were, “I just want to makewine.” And, so they are. The couple hasbeen triple blessed. In addition to beingcancer-free and following their dream tomake wine, Tara recently gave birth to a newbaby.

THEIR PROCESSThey currently are making and bottling wineon site, as well as using Rich's Uncle'sfacility in Pennsylvania. They are expanding

By David DeLozier l Photos Courtesy of Tom Stock

©stockstudiophotography.com

“We want to run

a good local

business,

provide a really

good product

and a great

experience”


their barrel room to eventually make all ofthe wine on site.

Since opening in October, they've bottled22,000 bottles. Said Rich, “We are hopingwe are going to make it through the season.We bottle throughout the year and plan tobottle more each year.”

All their grapes come from farmers in theFinger Lakes. “We deal directly with thefarmers. This gives us an opportunity to goout and see the grapes we're buying.” Thisalso makes Saratoga Winery truly a regionalwinery, one of its kind in the Saratoga area.

The tasting room and storefront, decoratedin a charming Adirondack style, provides awarm relaxed environment. “We cater to abroad spectrum of wine enthusiasts. Wewant people to come and enjoy themselves.”

They offer a variety of tasting opportunities,from single tasting to a full set of their red,whites and their signature melomels. SaidRich, “Our melomels are really popular-especially with people who aren't able todrink regular wine because of the sulfites.”This all-natural wine, made from grapes andhoney, carries a strong unique flavor, verypopular among their clients.

Their growing selection of wines ranges fromdry reds to sweet whites. They've bottledfourteen wines with plans to bottle four more.

In addition to being the only regional Wineryand Tasting room, Saratoga Winery also sellslocally made food and crafts from othersmall local businesses, including:Little Bakery in Grove, selling all naturalhomemade baked goods - Whalen'sHorseradish and a cheese spread made fromtheir Blood Root wine - Willow Marsh Farmcheese located in Ballston Spa - AA BeesHoney based in Round Lake - Maple Syrupfrom Tara's family's farm in Vermont andPost Modern Design custom-made ironworks (wine racks, tables, etc). They are inthe process of working with other localvendors to sell their wares, such as SaratogaSweets and Saratoga Salsa.

Said Tara, “We are big on all-natural, local,from family businesses.”




Their vision for the next five years is to keep expanding as demandincreases. “We've had local wine stores, distributors andrestaurants approach us.” Rich and Tara hope to eventually selltheir wine through all three. In addition to wine, they hope toeventually make and sell their own micro-brew.

Their tasting and barrel rooms provide a spacious location forevents. They have hosted several local fundraisers and plan tomake the space available for more in the future. They also hope tosponsor some of their own events this summer, such as a pig roastand a blues/jazz fest.

For a small upstart business in a downturn economy, businesskeeps looking up for Rich and Tara. To get a taste of their melomeland other specialty wines, visit the winery located on Rt 29, justfive minutes from downtown Saratoga Springs.

For more information contact:Saratoga Winery & Tasting Room

462 Rt 29Saratoga Springs, NY

518-584-WINE (9463)[email protected]

HOURS:Wed-Sat, 12-7 and Sun, 12-5

Starting June 1st Tues-Sun 11-8

www.thesaratogawinery.com

THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM AT SARATOGAinvites you to celebrate our planet at the first Saratoga Earth DayFestival on April 17th & 18th. Learn about efforts to improvesustainability both locally and globally. Held throughoutdowntown Saratoga Springs this family-friendly festival willfeature workshops, art, demonstrations, dance, speakers,scavenger hunts, letterboxing and plantings.Some of the local non-profits, artists and businesses featured in thefestival include The Saratoga Farmers Market, Green Conscience,Creative Endeavors of Saratoga Bridges,The Young Performers,TheChildren’s Museum at Saratoga and Cornell CooperativeExtension. To see the schedule of events, please visitwww.cmssny.org. Organizations and individuals interested inhosting events may contact The Children’s Museum at Saratoga at(518) 584-5540. www.saratogaearthday.com


Few of us probably think of ourselves as partowners of huge multinational corporationsbut anyone who owns a few mutual funds orstocks in their retirement plan or elsewhere isexactly that. It of course takes a bit of work toinfluence corporate policy but allshareholders have the right to havetheir voices be heard in the corporateboardroom and can really be ameaningful force for accountabilityand policy change.

Shareholder advocacy refers to anyactivity which attempts to influencecorporate decision-making throughcommunication with management. Inthis short piece, we're going to brieflyexplore the primary tools ofshareholder advocates: proxy voting,dialogue and shareholder resolutions,and let you know why you should careand what steps you can take to helpshape corporate behavior.

Many investors don't find it practical to attenddistant annual shareholder general meetingsbut can instead choose to vote on existingproposals “by proxy”, via mail, phone or theinternet. Proposals can also be placed on theballot by shareholders. While managementproposals typically cover “routine” items suchas electing directors and approving auditors,shareholder resolutions often addressenvironmental, social or corporate governanceissues. When we own stock shares through amutual fund, we delegate this responsibility tothat mutual fund's board of directors, who arenow required to disclose to investors how theyvoted each proxy. Many large institutional andmutual fund managers have historicallytended to vote with management or don'tvote at all. Keep in mind that an un-cast ballotis automatically voted in favor ofmanagement.

Many investors don't cast their votes becausethey feel they can't make a difference but it'sestimated that individual shareholdersaccount for 30% of total shares, whichrepresents a potentially significant votingbloc. Reading and understanding proxydocuments can seem a bit overwhelming,which is another reason why many individualshareholders have often not voted theirshares. Fortunately, websites such as Proxy

Democracy, Shareowners.org and MoxyVotenow provide shareholders with access toinformation on how like-minded investmentmanagers, non-profits and unions plan to voteon key issues, as well as providing

opportunities for getting involved directly byteaming up with various groups.

When you've identified a specific issue thatyou want to address, the best place to start istypically to attempt to engage the corporationin dialogue. While corporations may seemunapproachable, they are of course made upof people who may be responsive toreasonable input. Since dialogue is lessconfrontational than shareholder resolutions,many corporations see the wisdom of workingwith shareholders to improve policies andprocedures in this less public forum. It's agood idea to check with groups like the SocialInvestment Forum, The Interfaith Center onCorporate Responsibility or CERES to see ifthey've already formed coalitions to work onspecific issues.

Should dialogue or engagement on aparticular issue fail, it may be time to bringconcerns directly to shareholders by putting aresolution on the ballot. These resolutions canaddress anything which may adversely impactthe long-term health of the company, itsstakeholders, communities and the planet.While virtually all shareholder resolutions arenon-binding, meaning that companies canchoose to not act on the request, mostcompanies recognize the potential

consequences of ignoring this input, and theycan serve as very powerful tools forinfluencing corporate behavior.

Investors are evolving from passive anduninformed owners of stock to determined,

committed advocates who know theirvoice can make a difference.There is agrowing perception that many publiccompanies haven't been accountableto their shareholders and recognitionthat a short-term, “tunnel vision”profit mentality can endanger thelong-term economic viability of acompany and the greater communitythat they do business in. This wasdramatically illustrated by the severefinancial problems seen in many largebanks recently, which stemmedlargely from lax lending policies,ineffective corporate governance andweak regulatory oversight, and ofcourse ultimately required

government intervention to prevent theircollapse. The good news is that corporationsare becoming much more responsive andshareholder advocates are making realheadway on many critical issues and arebecoming an increasingly powerful force forpositive change.

Harry Moran helps socially conscious investors defineand achieve their highest goals by aligning theirmoney with their values. A 23-year veteran of the financial services profession, Mr. Moran hasheld the Certified Financial Planner® designation since1991. He is a network member of First AffirmativeFinancial Network, a national professionalorganization dedicated to meeting the needs of thesocially conscious investing community. Mr. Morancan be reached directly at Cornerstone FinancialAdvisors at [email protected] or518-877-8800.Mention of specific securities, funds, or companiesshould not be considered an offer or arecommendation to buy or sell the security, fund, orcompany. To determine the suitability of anyparticular investment, please consult with yourinvestment adviser. Remember, past performance isno guarantee of future results and no investmentstrategy can assure success. The opinions expressedare those of the author and may change withoutnotice. Harry Moran is a registered representativeoffering securities through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc.,member FINRA SIPC. Cadaret, Grant is not affiliatedwith Cornerstone or First Affirmative.

By Harry Moran, CFP® AIF®

Money Matters

Shareholder Advocacy: Speak and Be Heard!


Old Man Winter is standingon his last legs. Howeffective was your home inkeeping him outdoorswhere he belongs? Did younotice where he wasgetting in? Or where yourhard earned dollars weregetting out?

Ice damns or an abundanceof icicles on the eves ofyour roof are sureindications that warm,interior air is leaking intoyour attic at a high rate.You may also notice thatthe snow melts faster oncertain areas of your roofconsistently. This tells youthere is an air leak in thevicinity. In the past thesolution was to add moreinsulation, which helps, butshould be the second step.

As we discussed in the lastissue, air sealing is #1. This is a great time ofyear for you do it yourselfers to get up intothe attic and start poking around. Not toohot, not too cold. You'll need to get underthe existing insulation and find penetrationswhere air can escape. Look for holes aroundplumbing pipes and electrical wiring. Alsolook for where your partition walls meet theceiling. There are often gaps around the topplate that are a clear path to the attic. Sealthe larger gaps with expandable spray foamand the smaller gaps (under _”) withcaulking. CAUTION; If you have recessed

lighting be certain they are rated for contactwith insulation. If you are unsure consult anexpert for this could be a fire hazard.

Now for the insulation. The most common isfiberglass batts or blanket insulation. It'sinexpensive to both purchase and to install.For fiberglass insulation to be effective itmust be installed properly. Any gaps orcompression reduce its effectiveness. Properinstallation where there are obstructions oroddly spaced joists can be very difficult. Inan attic with R-38 insulation (12”), gaps of2% of the surface lower the performance to

about R-22. That's morethan a 40% reduction!With this in mind, examineyour current insulation. Isit a snug fit without gapsor tears? Is it full of dirt? Ifyou observe these issues itmay be time to replace it.Blown in cellulose is agreat alternative. It settlesinto all the nooks andcrannies to give you morecomplete coverage. It'salso one of the most eco-friendly insulations on themarket. Machinery isnecessary to blow thecellulose to where youwant it. You could call thepros or you could rent theproper equipment and doit yourself.

Before you leave the atticlook at your hatch cover.Does it have an air tight

seal and or insulation? This is a commonarea where substantial losses occur. Thereare many products on the market. Seal andShield makes a variety of attic accessinsulation and air sealing panels or you canget creative and make your own with foamboard and weather stripping.

If you have cold and drafty spots in yourhome that you don't know how to handlecall a BPI accredited contractor. They'll beable to help. They can also come up withsolutions to insulate those seemingly non-accessible areas of your home.

By Patrick Maloney l Energy Management Solutions

Ask the Energy Expert

Spring into Action to Combat Heat Loss

Do you often wonder why your skin feels dryand itchy? You could be one of the manypeople in the U.S. with dermatitis, a skindisease. Sometimes dermatitis is caused byproducts we use, such as soap, too muchsun, or even genetics. You may be surprisedhowever to find out it can even be caused bythe clothes you wear. While cotton can be avery soft, inexpensive fabric, it can also bedrenched in chemicals like pesticides. Thesepesticides are often used on cotton plantsand can cause irritation when your skintouches them.

Since people wear more clothing in the earlyspring than in the summer to keep warm,they have more contact with thesechemicals, therefore increasing skinirritability. This problem is the reason eco-entrepreneur, Diane Ferrante, owner ofFabGreenWear, started her business.

About two years ago Diane was told she haddermatitis, a disease that causes extremelysensitive skin.

“The doctor told me I had to give up usingcertain products that could irritate my skin,like my White Diamonds perfume. He alsotold me I would have to change my laundrysoap to a more chemical or dye-free brand.”

She is not alone. Many of Diane's familymembers have also been affected by severaltypes of sensitive skin problems rangingfrom psoriasis to skin cancer. In fact, theNational Human Genome Research Instituteestimates that 40-50% of Americans wholive to age 65 will get skin cancer at leastonce in their lifetime. In most cases, peoplemust see a doctor in order to get properlydiagnosed and treated but in some cases,like Diane's, doctor's recommendationsaren't always enough to relieve thesymptoms.

“Even after making the changes my doctorrecommended I still had issues. I startedreading about other possible causes of skinirritation and found out that clothing is acommon cause, as the average pair of jeanscan contain up to a gallon of pesticides.”

Once Diane found out it could be herclothing causing her illness, she wasdetermined to find places that sold organicor chemical-free clothing.

“When I looked for organic clothing andaccessories, I couldn't find anything locally. Itseemed I needed to go online to find what Iwanted and then have it shipped. This was

really an issue for me since I like to supportlocal businesses and shipping items acrossthe country isn't exactly eco-friendly so Idecided to start my own business-FabGreenWear.”

FabGreenWear offers accessories, such asorganic cotton scarves, non-toxic jewelry,organic goods for kids and babies, like bibs,burp cloths, blankets, bed sheets, car seatorganizers, and pillows. They also makesome of the same items for adults. Thecompany started out just offeringaccessories (therefore the nameFabGreenWear) but has recently expandedto include house wares. A clothing line forpeople and pets is in the works for thisspring. Diane hopes to offer her productsthrough local boutiques or other businessesin the capital region soon but for now youcan purchase her products online atFabGreenWear.com, local craft shows, andFabGreenParties. FabGreenParties teachguests about green living and the latest taxcredits available for their home, offer an

organic meal prepared by the hostess, giveguests a chance to swap unused clothes andother items, and of course you can buyFabGreenWear.

“I have so much fun throwing the parties,especially the GivingGreenParties, wherecharities can benefit from the sale ofFabGreenWear. My parents always taughtme that it's important to give back to yourcommunity and that's why my businessdonates to charity. My Scarves for a Causeprogram donates four scarves a year to localcharities for auction. The scarves are paintedby local artists. Local artists and charitiesthat want to participate in the programshould contact me.”

As more people find that buying organic oreco-friendly products is good not just for theplanet but their health it's likely that morebusinesses will follow this green trend. Thisis why national retailers like Target and Wal-Mart are opening their eyes and havestarted carrying at least a few organically-made products, such as socks and sweaters.


ECO-FASHION:A cure for sensitive skin


Long before we could pronounce BettyFriedan's last name, Americans from mygeneration felt her impact. Many of us bornin the mid-1970s learned from our parentsand our teachers that women no longerneeded to stay home, that there wereprofessional opportunities awaiting us. In myown school experience, homemaking, likefarming, gained a reputation as a vocationfor the scholastically impaired. Those of uswith academic promise learned that wecould do whatever we put our minds to,whether it was conquering the world orsaving the world. I was personally interestedin saving the world. That path eventually ledme to conclude that homemaking would playa major role toward achieving that goal.My own farming background led me topursue advanced degrees in the field ofsustainable agriculture, with a powerfulinterest in the local food movement. By thetime my Ph.D. was conferred, I was married,and I was in a state of confusion. The more Iunderstood about the importance of smallfarms and the nutritional, ecological, andsocial value of local food, the more Iquestioned the value of a 9-to-5 job. If my

husband and I both worked and hadchildren, it appeared that our family'secological impact would be considerable.We'd require two cars, professionalwardrobes, convenience foods to make upfor lost time in the kitchen … and we'd haveto buy, rather than produce, harvest, andstore, our own food.The economics didn't work out, either. Whenwe crunched the numbers, our grossincomes from two careers would have beenhigh, but the cost of living was alsoconsiderable, especially when daycare wasfigured into the calculation. Abandoning thejob market, we re-joined my parents on oursmall grassfed livestock farm and becamehomemakers. For almost ten years now,we've been able to eat locally andorganically, support local businesses, avoidbig box stores, save money, and support afamily of four on less than $45,000 per year.Wondering if my family was a freakyaberration to the conventional Americanculture, I decided to post a notice on mywebpage, looking to connect with otherecologically minded homemakers. Myfingers trembled on the keyboard as I typed

the notice. What, exactly, would be therepercussions for taking a pro-homemakerstand and seeking out others? Wasencouraging a Radical Homemakingmovement going to unravel all the socialadvancements that have been made in thelast 40-plus years? Women, after all, havebeen the homemakers since the beginning oftime. Or so I thought.

THE ORIGINS OF HOMEMAKING:A VOCATION FOR BOTH SEXES

Upon further investigation, I learned that thehousehold did not become the “woman'ssphere” until the Industrial Revolution. Asearch for the origin of the word housewifetraces it back to the thirteenth century, as thefeudal period was coming to an end inEurope and the first signs of a middle classwere popping up. Historian Ruth SchwartzCowan explains that housewives werewedded to husbands, whose name camefrom hus, an old spelling of house, andbonded. Husbands were bonded to houses,rather than to lords. Housewives andhusbands were free people, who owned theirown homes and lived off their land. Whilethere was a division of labor among thesexes in these early households, there wasalso an equal distribution of domestic work.Once the Industrial Revolution happened,however, things changed. Men left thehousehold to work for wages, which werethen used to purchase goods and servicesthat they were no longer home to provide.Indeed, the men were the first to lose theirdomestic skills as successive generationsforgot how to butcher the family hog, how tosew leather, how to chop firewood.As the Industrial Revolution forged on andcrossed the ocean to America, men andwomen eventually stopped workingtogether to provide for their householdsustenance. They developed their separatespheres-man in the factory, woman in thehome. The more a man worked outside thehome, the more the household would haveto buy in order to have needs met. Soon thefactories were able to fabricate products tosupplant the housewives' duties as well. Thehousewife's primary function ultimatelybecame chauffeur and consumer. Thehousehold was no longer a unit ofproduction. It was a unit of consumption.

Radical HomemakerLOCAL IDEA

How families are achieving ecological, social, and economic transformation...starting under their own roofs.

By Shannon Hayes

Shannon Hayes wrote this article for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas with practical actions. Shannon is the author of Radical Homemakers, The Farmer and the Grill,and The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook. She works with her family on Sap Bush Hollow Farm in upstate New York and hosts two websites, grassfedcooking.com and radicalhomemakers.com. Copies of her books are available through those websites. Portions of this story are excerpted from Shannon Hayes' newest book,Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity From a Consumer Culture, Left to Write Press, 2010.


HOUSEWIFE'S SYNDROMEThe effect on the American housewife wasdevastating. In 1963, Betty Friedanpublished The Feminine Mystique,documenting for the first time “the problemthat has no name,” Housewife's Syndrome,where American girls grew up fantasizingabout finding their husbands, buying theirdream homes and appliances, popping outbabies, and living happily ever after. In truth,pointed out Friedan, happily-ever-after nevercame. Countless women suffered fromdepression and nervous breakdowns as theyfaced the endless meaningless tasks ofshopping and driving children hither andyon. They never had opportunities to fulfilltheir highest potential, to challengethemselves, to feel as though they were trulycontributing to society beyond wielding thecredit card to keep the consumer culturehumming. Friedan's book sent women towork in droves. And corporate Americaseized upon a golden opportunity to securea cheaper workforce and offer countlessproducts to use up their paychecks.The household was no longer a unit ofproduction. It was a unit of consumption.Before long, the second family income wasno longer an option. In the minds of many, itwas a necessity. Homemaking, like eatingorganic foods, seemed a luxury to beenjoyed only by those wives whosehusbands garnered substantial earnings,enabling them to drive their children toschool rather than put them on a bus, enrollthem in endless enrichment activities,oversee their educational careers, andprepare them for entry into elite colleges inorder to win a leg-up in a competitiveworkforce. At the other extreme,homemaking was seen as the realm of theultra-religious, where women accepted therole of Biblical “Help Meets” to theirhusbands. They cooked, cleaned, toiled,served and remained silent and powerless.My husband and I fell into neither category,and I suspected there were more like us.

MEET THE RADICAL HOMEMAKERSI was right. I received hundreds of lettersfrom rural, suburban, and city folks alike.Some ascribed to specific religious faiths,others did not. As long as the home showedno signs of domination or oppression, I wasinterested in learning more about them. Iselected twenty households from my pile,plotted them on a map across the UnitedStates, and set about visiting each of themto see what homemaking could look likewhen men and women shared both powerand responsibility. Curious to see if RadicalHomemaking was a venture suited to morethan just women in married couples, I visitedwith single parents, stay-at-home dads,widows, and divorcées. I spent time infamilies with and without children.A glance into America's past suggests thathomemaking could play a big part inaddressing the ecological, economic andsocial crises of our present time.Homemakers have played a powerful roleduring several critical periods in our nation'shistory. By making use of locally availableresources, they made the boycotts leadingup to the American Revolution possible. Theyplayed a critical role in the foundational civiceducation required to launch a youngdemocratic nation. They were driving forcesbehind both the abolition and suffragemovements.Homemakers today could have a similarinfluence. The Radical Homemakers Iinterviewed had chosen to make family,community, social justice, and the health ofthe planet the governing principles of theirlives. They rejected any form of labor or theexpenditure of any resource that did nothonor these tenets. For about 5,000 years,our culture has been hostage to a form oforganization by domination that fails tohonor our living systems, under which “hewho holds the gold makes the rules.” Bycontrast, the Radical Homemakers are usinglife skills and relationships as replacements

for gold, on the premise that he or she whodoesn't need the gold can change the rules.The greater one's domestic skills, be they toplant a garden, grow tomatoes on anapartment balcony, mend a shirt, repair anappliance, provide one's own entertainment,cook and preserve a local harvest, or care forchildren and loved ones, the less dependentone is on the gold.By virtue of these skills, the RadicalHomemakers I interviewed were building agreat bridge from our existing extractiveeconomy-where corporate wealth has beenregarded as the foundation of economichealth, where mining our Earth's resourcesand exploiting our international neighborshave been acceptable costs of doingbusiness-to a life serving economy, wherethe goal is, in the words of David Korten, togenerate a living for all, rather than a killingfor a few; where our resources are sustained,our waters are kept clean, our air pure, andfamilies and can lead meaningful lives. Insituations where one person was stillrequired to work out of the home in theconventional extractive economy,homemakers were able to redirect thefamily's financial, social and temporalresources toward building the life-servingeconomy. In most cases, however, thehomemakers' skills were so considerablethat, while members of the household mighthold jobs (more often than not they ran theirown businesses), the financial needs of thefamily were so small that no one in thefamily was forced to accept any employmentthat did not honor the four tenets of family,community, social justice and ecologicalsustainability.While all the families had some form ofincome that entered their lives, they werenot a privileged set by any means. Most ofthe families I interviewed were living with asense of abundance at about 200 percent ofthe federal poverty level. That's a little over$40,000 for a family of four, about 37percent below the national median familyincome, and 45 percent below the medianincome for married couple families. Somelived on considerably less, few hadappreciably more. Not surprisingly, thosewith the lowest incomes had mastered themost domestic skills and had developed themost innovative approaches to living.

RETHINKING THE IMPOSSIBLEThe Radical Homemakers were skilled at themental exercise of rethinking the “givens”of our society and coming to the followingconclusions: nobody (who matters) careswhat (or if) you drive; housing does not haveto cost more than a single moderate income

Backyard chickens in downtown L.A.? Shannon Hayesfound that "radical homemaking" is transcendingurban-rural divides. Photo by Shannon Hayes

Preserving food at home lets "radical homemakers" eatlocal, organic food year-round-even on limited budgets.Photo by Shannon Hayes


can afford (and can even cost less); it isokay to accept help from family and friends,to let go of the perceived ideal ofindependence and strive instead forinterdependence; health can be achievedwithout making monthly payments to aninsurance company; child care is not a fixedcost; education can be acquired for free; andretirement is possible, regardless of income.Each home was the center for social change,the starting point from which a better lifewould ripple out for everyone.As for domestic skills, the range of talentsheld by these households was as varied asthe day is long. Many kept gardens, but notall. Some gardened on city rooftops, someon country acres, some in suburban yards.Some were wizards at car and appliancerepairs. Others could sew. Some could buildand fix houses; some kept livestock. Otherscrafted furniture, played music, or wrote. Allcould cook. (Really well, as my waistline willattest.) None of them could do everything.No one was completely self-sufficient, anindependent island separate from the restof the world. Thus the universal skills thatthey all possessed were far more complexthan simply knowing how to can greenbeans or build a root cellar. In order to makeit as homemakers, these people had to bewizards at nurturing relationships andworking with family and community. Theyneeded an intimate understanding of thelife-serving economy, where a paycheck isnot always exchanged for all servicesrendered. They needed to be their own

teachers-to pursue their educationsthroughout life, forever learning new waysto do more, create more, give more.In addition, the happiest among them weresuccessful at setting realistic expectationsfor themselves. They did not live inimpeccably clean houses on manicuredestates. They saw their homes as livingsystems and accepted the flux, flow, dirt,and chaos that are a natural part of that.They were masters at redefining pleasurenot as something that should be bought inthe consumer marketplace, but assomething that could be created, no matterhow much or how little money they had intheir pockets. And above all, they werefearless. They did not let themselves bebullied by the conventional ideals regardingmoney, status, or material possessions.These families did not see their homes as arefuge from the world. Rather, each homewas the center for social change, thestarting point from which a better life wouldripple out for everyone.Home is where the great change will begin.It is not where it ends. Once we feelsufficiently proficient with our domesticskills, few of us will be content to simplypractice them to the end of our days. Manyof us will strive for more, to bring morebeauty to the world, to bring about greatersocial change, to make life better for ourneighbors, to contribute our creative powersto the building of a new, brighter, moresustainable, and happier future. That isprecisely the great work we should all be

tackling. If we start by focusing our energieson our domestic lives, we will do more thanreduce our ecological impact and helpcreate a living for all. We will craft a safe,nurturing place from which this greatcreative work can happen.

Shannon Hayes in the kitchen with her daughter,Saoirse. Photo by Bob Hooper



As the sun approaches its vernal equinox,daylight wins the fight over darkness.Despite the joy that warmth and sunshinebring with the Spring Season, it also brings astrange affliction to some people in theUpper Hudson Valley. No, it's not SpringFever, but Maple Madness. The cool nightsand warming days awaken the trees in thegreat Northern Forests, and a sweet sapbegins to rise in the mighty sugar maple.This perennial ritual calls men out to thewoods to capture the nectar in a labyrinth oftaps, tubes and tanks, spending sleeplessnights in a hot, steamy shack boiling theirprecious liquid down into the worldrenowned maple syrup.In some cases, the affliction known as maplemadness can become an obsession and nomaple man is more obsessed than Staffan“Steve” Rascher, of Shushan, NY. Rascherhas been making maple syrup for most of his71 years on this earth. In fact, his first batchwas made when he was a young lad of justfive years old. He still has the sketch hemade for his 'show and tell” class, mountedon a wall in his sugarhouse.

“I got some of the old fashioned steelbuckets and tapped some trees in the sideyard,” recalls Rascher. “Then I gathered upthe buckets full of sap, put the sap into alarge pan, made a big fire underneath it, andthere's smoke and ashes billowing out allover the place and into the pan, and I boiledit down and made maple syrup.” Little didthe young boy realize at the time that hisparent's homestead would become thesource for the World's Best Maple Syrup! Turns out the Rascher homestead is situatedon what is perhaps the perfect landscape fora maple sugar operation. The 400 acreproperty straddles a narrow valley along the

New York-Vermont border, covered with amature forest of oak, ash and maple. Asmall farm stead was cut out of the forest,and this was the land that was to make andshape Steve Rascher.The Rascher family emigrated from Swedento the United States in 1941, fleeing theadvance of Hitler's Third Reich intoScandinavia. While staying with their hostfamily in New York City, German Spys werecaptured after landing on a Long IslandBeach. Afraid of a German advance intoNew York City, the elder Sigurd Rascher wentin search of a place far away from cities andpotential strife. He made contact with aland broker from Arlington, Vermont, whohad several parcels of interest. Sigurd wouldget out of the truck at each stop, grab hisshovel, and dig a hole. The first two sites inVermont were rejected because of gravelysoil. The broker had only one other choice,just over the border in New York. The shovelblade sank deep into the soil withoutresistance. The hole got bigger; all that wasthere was a beautiful loam. Withouthesitation, Sigurd bought the property,knowing that he could feed his family withthe rich soil in this valley.Already a prominent saxophone player ofworld renown, Sigurd Rascher quickly madea name for himself in music circles with hisunique style of play. His big break came

when he was chosen to play in the USOband that toured with Bob Hope duringWorld War II. Farming was not his strongtrait, but it would be where young Staffanwould stake his claim and name.His father may have traveled the world, butthe only world Steve was interested in wasthe land at his doorstep. In 1971, he putdown his own roots amongst the trees heloves, by building a log home just down thestreet from the family homestead. Thishouse was built just like his ancestors fromSweden would have built a home - by hand.

Steve Rascher - The Man That Maple Made LOCAL FOOD

In some cases, the affliction known as maple madness can become an obsession and no maple man is more obsessed than

Staffan “Steve” Rascher, of Shushan, NY. Rascher has been making maple syrup for most of his 71 years on this earth.

Story and Photos by David DeLozier


Whole logs were acquired from a loggingoperation in Chester VT. Two tractor trailerloads full. Everything was hand peeled witha draw knife and hand sawed with his trustychainsaw. “I still use the same chainsaweveryday that I built this house with,” Stevesays with pride. All joints were hand carved,and secured with long spikes. “There'sabout 600 pounds of 18” spikes in thishouse,” he said All the window frames hadto be custom made, because, at the time,there were none built that were largeenough for the width of the logs.“Everything in this house was handmade,nothing was bought from a factory” he said.“There's no finish on these logs, it's allnatural. Finishes off gas, and you end upbreathing that stuff. So I never put a finishon them.”Steve had no formal training in construction.“I trained myself,” said Steve. “I come fromnorthern Sweden where there are log cabinslike this that are thousands of years old.They're all pretty much built like this one.”From this idyllic setting, Steve Rascherlearned to love the woods and his trees. “Iwas a treehugger before guys like you wereeven born,” he said with a smirk. “If youlove your trees, they'll love you back!”Through the years, Rascher has nurtured histrees, and in particular, his maples, tobecome a highly productive sugar bush. Theforest is much like a park, with an open floorand large, majestic trees towering skyward.He has built a network of tubes throughoutthe woods, taking advantage of the naturalsloping topography so that all the sap freelyflows by gravity to a tank position across theroad from his sugarhouse. His meticulouscare of the system and care of the forestbiome deliver a steady supply of liquid goldevery Spring.

Rascher is a stickler for quality andthe numerous awards andribbons decorating the walls ofthe sugarhouse are testimonyto that. “I've got a wholedrawer full of ribbons fromcompetitions through theyears,” he boasted. “I'd wonthe International Award forMaple Syrup in 1997 and wasawarded a special blanket - like theones that the winners at Saratogahorse track get,” he said withpride. “I've won it ever since, butthey no longer give away theblanket.” As holder of the covetedtitle “World's Best Maple Syrup,Rascher has what many othermaple men want. But he keepswinning, year after year.“I've been teaching people how tomake maple sugar for 50 yearsnow,” Steve explains. “A fewyears back I had an internationalmaple tour here, for ademonstration. It was thesummer time, but I still had to show themhow I do it. Since I had no sap, I filled theevaporator with distilled water and added agallon of maple syrup, and then boiled it allout again so they all could see how it wasdone.”In 1997 Rascher's original sugarhouse waslost to an arsonist rampage. The sugarhouse was one of about six other structuresin the County that were torched, all in onenight. “I've been on the fire departmenthere locally for 38 years or so, and let me tellyou there's nothing sadder than seeing yourown pride and joy go up in flames,” saidSteve. The arsonist apparently was havingproblems at home. “Well, he's got a nice

new home now, over at theState Prison.”

Undeterred, Rasher rebuiltthe sugarhouse on theexact spot as the old one,but even better. He had anevaporator built to his

specifications by Tom andBill at the Grimm Corporationof Rutland VT. Like Rascherhimself, it is an original;there's none like itanywhere else.An opportunity came forothers to grab the topmaple syrup honorswhen Rasher fell ill acouple of years ago toa run in with LymeDisease. He wasdown, but not out.Last year, whilerecovering fromhis serious illness,

he was only able tomake maple syrup from one

tree, in his front yard. He took some samplesof this small batch down to the InternationalCompetition in Bennington, Vermont, and tothe amazement of all attendees, he sweptthe awards. “The Rash is back!” declaredone of the attendees. “I got the blue ribbonfor every single class!” Steve said. “And, Iwas the class winner for Light Amber, whichis the most difficult class to win”With a new lease on life, Rasher is taking onhis maple operation with renewed gusto.He's been busy installing all new sap linesinto the sugar bush - a Herculean task forsomeone in top shape, let alone a LymeDisease survivor. -Continued on Page 37



Hair salons have long been criticized for thepollution they generate. Traditional hair dyesand many shampoos contain harmfulsynthetic chemicals that are routinely used oncustomers’ scalps—and then washed downthe drain where they can accumulate inwaterways, soils and even our bloodstreams.

While there doesn’t appear to be an industry-wide, coordinated effort to green up theseoperations, green-friendly salons are poppingup all across the country, leading the chargeby taking matters into their own hands.

Pure Elements in Guilderland is one suchsalon that prides itself on its chemical-freeatmosphere. Spurred on by her own healthproblems related to working withconventional hair dyes, owner Kristin Gaffneydecided to go all organic with her salon whenthe chemical treatments that she had beenusing were giving her a bad reaction. “I hadchronic sinus infections – all the time” saidGaffney. “I asked my doctor why I keptgetting these infections. She asked about theproducts I was using, so I brought in a bottleto show her. She pointed out the ammonia asa main ingredient, and said ‘there’s theculprit!’”

The ammonia is necessary to open up the hairfollicle so that the color pigments can

penetrate the hair follicle. Unfortunately, theapplication must stay on the hair for about ahalf an hour, so both the customer and thestylist must endure the fumes during thattime period. “So to color hair using organicingredients, we use heat, explains Gaffney,pointing to the hair dryer unit.

When she first opened her eco-friendly hairsalon in August, Ms. Gaffney had no idea theamount of buzz she would generate. Assomeone who is environmentally conscious, itmade sense to Kristin that her salon reflectedher concern for the environment.

Realizing that toxins in the hair treatmentswere affecting her health, Ms. Gaffney hasmade a conscious effort to detoxify theenvironment of her salon as well. The painton the walls is no-VOC paint,” she said. “Thelights are LED, which are low energyconsuming. All the cleaning products that weuse are green and non-toxic. We use low-impact hair dryers that produce half theemissions of traditional models.”

The customers at Pure Elements appreciate allthat Gaffney has done to provide a safe,comfortable hair salon.

Since opening the doors in April 2009 and the

reception from the public has beenencouraging. Her sign on busy WesternAvenue is getting some attention, and thereis a steady stream of new faces coming in. “Ihave a new customer who left her stylist of 20years to come here for the organicdifference,” said Gaffney. Gaffney boaststhat she even has a customer from New YorkCity, who was introduced to the salon by hermother during a holiday visit. Another loyalcustomer, Stephanie Delancey, makes thedrive from her home in Saratoga Springs toPure Elements for the improvement she seesand feels with her hair. “I got tired of myhead itching for days after a color treatment,”explained Delancey. “My mom had beencoming to Kristin for years for her manicuresand pedicures, so she recommended I comeand try it out. I haven’t gone anywhere elsesince!”

In addition to the green approach to the salonservices, Ms. Gaffney also has brought insome locally sourced products for hercustomers. A customer who makes jewelryhas several pieces for sale, and there is line ofessential oils and balms made locally. “Wereally want to promote local here, saysGaffney. “We’re part of the community, andwe want to help others succeed here too!”

Green Hair - Going organic is for your head, tooLOCAL STYLE

Realizing that toxins in the hair treatments were affecting her health,

Ms. Gaffney has made a conscious effort to detoxify the environment of her salon as well.

Story and pictures by David Delozier


When Saratoga residents Carol and OtisMaxwell contacted local solar installers toget an estimate for a solar electricinstallation for their beautiful Victorian homein downtown Saratoga Springs, most solarcompanies were not so eager to proceedupon learning that the couple's house waslocated within the city's historic district. InSaratoga Springs, the Design ReviewCommission (DRC) has jurisdiction overexterior building changes on most propertieswithin the city's historic district and over itshistoric landmark sites. This means that anyexterior changes, including house painting,roof replacement, changing windows,installing satellite dishes in the city's historicdistrict have to be reviewed and approved bythe Commission. The review process isnotorious for its critical approach towardsany significant changes to the historic and

architectural character of the SaratogaSprings landscape. This made acquiringpermission to install the first completelyvisible solar electric system on the downtownhistoric home a daunting task.

Many of us have seen examples of oldersolar hot water systems: large dark coloredrectangular collectors typically mounted atan odd angle, often drastically altering theoutline and style of a building. Thesesystems were often installed in the late 70sand early 80s, when generous governmentincentives and recent oil crises encouragedhomeowners to prioritize utility function ofthese systems, not necessarily payingattention to their aesthetic role.Installations from that era showed littlesensitivity for the historic nature of many ofthe homes they were mounted on.

A team of solar designers at the Albanyoffice of Alteris Renewables, decided towork with the Maxwells on not onlydesigning a system that would complementthis Victorian style beauty built in 1880, butalso on submitting an application for thesolar system installation permit to the city'sDesign Review Commission.

To minimize visibility and help the systemblend in as much as possible, Alterisproposed to install 20 SunPower black solarelectric modules, flush with the roof andelevated by only a few inches. The panelsare immediately adjacent to theneighboring ones, so the system ends uplooking like a single unit resembling a low-profile skylight. The black solar array is onlyslightly noticeable on the dark grey roofshingles of the house. Besides the panels,this solar installation did not have anyexterior components: all wiring and conduitwas concealed inside the walls and the solarinverter was installed inside the home'sbasement.

When the project was examined by theDesign Review Commission, the memberswere especially concerned about the effectthis photovoltaic system would have on thestructure of the building: if an average PVsystem should last about 30 years, whatwould happen to the building after thesystem serves its life and is taken down? Ina presentation, Alteris demonstrated thatafter a solar system is taken down, simplere-shingling of the roof is all it takes to getthe house back to its prior look.

After some deliberations, the DRC voted toapprove the project.

Alteris installed the system in late 2009 andnow, the Maxwell family enjoys the benefitsof net-metering. Whenever sun shines andtheir system produces more power thanhouse needs, excess power flows back outto the grid, spinning the meter backwards,accumulating credits. At night, when sun isdown and solar system is asleep, the

By Olya Prevo of Alteris Renewables, Inc.

Solar energy and historic preservation:

A SENSIBLE SOLUTION?In a presentation, Alteris demonstrated that after a solar system

is taken down, simple re-shingling of the roof is all it takes

to get the house back to its prior look.


Maxwells use electricity from the grid,“cashing in” the credits accumulated duringsunny days.

The Maxwell's successful quest forobtaining a permit for the solar installationis an example of how the use of modernsolar technology can be combined withsensible planning and engineering to createunobtrusive and visually undisruptive solarsystems, even in an historic neighborhood.

Mounting solar modules on flat roofs isanother great strategy that allows forseamless incorporation of solar energy intohistoric buildings without altering theiraesthetical appearance. There are numerousmanufacturers that engineer flat roof solarrack systems, which allow us to completesolar installations without any roofpenetrations.

The Alteris team has used flat roofinstallation methods on another buildinglocated in the heart of Saratoga's historicdistrict - former School #4, now an officebuilding at 112 Spring Street. This is anaward-winning historic restoration projectenvisioned and brought to life by BarbaraGlaser of Linell Lands, Inc. This quaint 1910building was transformed from a run-down

school administration facility into a state-of-the-art office building rebuilt utilizingenergy efficient building components andenvironmentally sensitive restorationpractices.

Anyone taking a stroll down Spring Streetwould not suspect from looking at thebuilding that there is a 14 kW solar “powerplant” hidden on the roof. The only place thesystem is visible from is above the roofline.

Not all historic buildings, however, are goodcandidates for such solar installations.Many historic buildings have slate roofingtiles which are much too brittle to workwith. We would recommend south facingroofs that are unobstructed by shade from9am through 3pm throughout the year.Asphalt shingle and standing seam metalroofs are the best roofing types to beintegrated with solar panel installations.Buildings with flat roofs can be greatcandidates as well.

If you own a home full of history and charmand suspect that you have good sunexposure, an Alteris Renewables solarenergy specialist would be happy toconduct a free site evaluation and adviseyou on the best solution to incorporate solar

energy into your home. Many of our clientsfind that right now is a great time to installsolar energy systems due to generous taxcredits, incentives, and lower module prices.Here in Upstate New York, we have anabundant amount of sunshine for solarpanels to produce plentiful powerthroughout the year. In addition togenerating clean electricity and reducingyour carbon footprint on the planet,installing a solar system enables you topartake in reducing this country'sdependence on foreign energy sources.Finally, your solar electric system willprovide you independence from constantlyrising electricity prices.

You can reach a local Alteris RenewablesSolar Energy Specialist at 518-512-5154.




The Tour of the Battenkill is a 62 mile race (124miles for the Professional Invitational!) aroundthe Battenkill Valley in Washington County, NewYork. The race passes through the Towns ofCambridge,White Creek, Jackson, Salem, Eastonand Greenwich and the Villages of Cambridge,Shushan, Salem and Greenwich and thenending back in Cambridge near the historicGreen Bridge. The Tour of the Battenkill benefitsFarm Team-A regional junior cycling team, andvarious civic and community groups in our area.The complete Tour of the Battenkill raceschedule is:• April 9-10, 2010- Pro/Am - The Nation'slargest Pro/Am road cycling event!• April 16-18, 2010- Pro Weekend!• April 17- Ride2Recovery - A benefit ride for wounded war veteranswww.ride2recovery.com • April 18 - PRO INVITATIONAL - Professionalteams from the USA,Canada, Australia, and Europe!Recommended spectator travel routes withinthe race course, as well as unpaved sections,have been highlighted for your convenience onthe race's website. The Villages of Cambridgeand Greenwich will have exciting eventsfeaturing music, food and beverage. Saratogaresidents will find the Village of Greenwich

easily accessible and a thrilling place to watchthe race as riders come off route 29 turning ontoRte 372 directly in the center of the Village.While there, take the time to visit the manymerchants and eateries on Main Street and inLivery Square. Drink like the PROs bypurchasing your Battenkill Creamerycommemorative chocolate milk at Green PeaMarket. Just off the finish line in Cambridge theFarm Bureau will host a special agriculturaldisplay and the Cambridge Hotel will havedelicious food and drink specials. Approachingthe finish, en-route from Greenwich, the WestEnd of Cambridge will feature a hot spot (aprime viewing location) as the racers enter theVillage and sprint to the finish. In Salemconsider watching the race from the intersectionof Rte 22 and 30 as the racers take a hard left

and travel up Rte 30past Salem Art Worksand climb to BattenkillValley Creamery (takethe short cut off Rte 22and Hanks road)another great viewinglocation- cheer theracers on by lifting yourbottle of chocolatemilk. On April 18 thePROs will do a doubleloop through Shushanbefore they travel upRte 62 to Salem.

The race requires a number of volunteersand sponsors to make it successful and safe.To learn more about the race and how youcan participate or be a spectator visitwww.tourofthebattenkill.com The Washington County Fiber Tour is a free, self-guided driving tour that takes place everyspring throughout Washington County, NY.Drive from farm to farm through the scenic hillsand vales of Washington County visiting ourFiber producers and their alpacas, goats, llamas,rabbits and sheep. See home crafted yarns,weavings, knitted items, fleeces and more.Learn about spinning, knitting, weaving andfelting, and about raising the livestock and petsthat we cherish!During the tour you will enjoy many uniqueexperiences on each farm so don't miss any ofthem. Try your hand at some old time spinningand weaving; Fiber dyeing in traditional andmodern techniques including environmentallyfriendly and kool-aid. Meet the craftspersonand see how the human hand makes each itemunique and a treasure to own.At the farms you will be able to see how rawalpaca fleece is transformed into beautifulgarments. You will be able to try your hand attraditional fiber arts including spinning, feltingand weaving. Ask questions about and getsome hands on experience with the animals.You can even take an alpaca through theobstacle course and have your picture takenwith them! Finish off your trip with a visit to thefarms gift shop featuring a wide selection of finegarments including socks, hats, mittens,sweaters, scarves, yarns and more.Visit Washington County the week of April 24& 25. Travel our beautiful roads in the earlyspring green, stop in our quaint Villages for abite to eat, stroll our main streets and discoverWashington County. For more info go towww.washingtoncountyfibertour.org.For more information on cool events and warmhospitality in Washington County - like theCambridge Valley Hot Air Balloon Festival,hiking or floating along the quite side of LakeGeorge and the Rogers Island Challenge checkwashingtonnycounty.com.Come for a visit, you will be glad you did.

THE ARTISAN'S GUILDfeaturing work by local artists &

exhibits in The Focus Gallery196 B NORTH MAIN ST. SALEM, NY

518 854-3506 [email protected]


Come visit our local Maple sugar houses in March - Watch the maple sap boil down to sweet syrup, then enjoy it on a stack of pancakes! Maple Weekends Open House: March 20th-21st & 27th-28th 2010


Last fall, after thirty-two years, the CambridgeFood Coop graduated out of crampedquarters in Hubbard Hall, a restored operahouse run by an arts organization, into abright and inviting new home of its own. Themove gave it an attractive storefront that'sfinally big enough for customers to see all thestock.

"It's almost like a beacon on the street," saysMarianne Pender, the president of the coop'sboard, of the window-lit space.

As with many expansions, one hurdle wasfinancial. The coop ultimately had to borrow$35,000 to complete renovations andequipment acquisitions for the former realestate office it was leasing.

But banks wouldn't recognize the uniquestructure of a cooperative. "They wanted [tolend to] a business with one owner," explainsPender. They even asked the coop's board ofdirectors to personally guarantee the loan!The food coop has 200 member-owners.

Given this cold reception, it was natural forthe coop to turn to the Capital DistrictCommunity Loan Fund, where it was alreadyan investor. The 25-year-old nonprofitfinancial institution lends to small businesses,and not-profit community and economicdevelopment projects in an eleven-countyregion.

A few years before, flush with a small surplus,the coop had invested some of its cash in theLoan Fund, where it would do good, ratherthan putting it a regular bank savingsaccount. Coop members had been impressedwith the Loan Fund's support for microbusinesses. Now their business needed itshelp.

After visiting the coop's current store andfuture site and getting a good picture of thecoop's needs and plans, the Loan Fund sentthe coop's loan application to its board.Whenit was approved, the loan officer personallydelivered the check and papers to sign! Laterwhen the coop found that the project wouldcost more than anticipated, the Loan Fundcame through with the additional sum. Theytoured the new store after it opened forbusiness and expect updates.

"I cannot give them enough praise," Pender

tells me. "It was refreshing to have someonethat was truly interested in what we aredoing."

The Cambridge Food Co-op is representativeof the several hundred small businesses andorganizations that the Capital DistrictCommunity Loan Fund has lent to in itstwenty-five years. Its $25 million total incumulative loans commands an enviabledefault rate under 2 percent! The cooppresident's story reveals an obvious reasonthat virtually all loans get paid back -- the on-going technical assistance andcommunication that staff provides toborrowers. As satisfied clients can attest, thatcaring service sets it apart from most otherlenders today.

Cambridge Food Co-op25 East Main Street, Cambridge, NY 12816

518/677-5731www.cambridgefoodcoop.com

Community activists, such as RogerMarkowcz, the long-time director of UnitedTenants of Albany, whose efforts had been

repeatedly thwarted by the refusal of localbanks to lend for social needs, wereresponsible for creating this grassrootsfinancial institution. Back then, the conceptwas new and less than a handful ofCommunity Loan Funds existed, in Boston,New Hampshire, and Philadelphia.

All these early Loan Funds were formed underthe tutelage of the Institute for CommunityEconomics (ICE), which was run by the latevisionary Chuck Matthei. (He is also known tosome in the region for developing aninnovative model for Roxbury Farm inColumbia County, and other CommunitySupported Agriculture farms, to make goodfarmland secure and affordable forthemselves and future generations ofsustainable farmers.)

One man who was especially instrumental ingetting the Capital District Community LoanFund off the ground was Kirby White. As anICE consultant, he brought expertise as thewriter of the institute's handbook on thesubject. While providing technical assistanceto the new loan fund for its early years, the

Local Money means Local BusinessBUY LOCAL

When Banks Say No, Micro-Businesses Turn to the Community Loan Fund

By JTracy Frisch, Contributing Writer


Cambridge, NY, native even moved to Troyand then Albany.

In the intervening decades, White has hadother roles with the Loan Fund - borrower (asdirector of a land trust), lender, member, andboard member, and he still finds that it"continues to be fun!" Looking back to itsmodest roots, he is "awed by what [the LoanFund] has become - in terms of its financialcapacity and its organizational culture."

Since 1985 the Loan Fund has been buildingup its pool of funds to its present $10 millionportfolio, half of which is now equity. Much ofthis money is lent at below-market rate by adiverse group of socially concerned investors- individuals, civic and faith groups,businesses, and even banks. Donations, largeand small, and grants also capitalize thefunding pool.

This revolving loan fund makes capitalavailable to non-profits as well as smallbusinesses owned by low-income people,minorities, and women. All sorts ofenterprises in area cities, the countryside, andin between have benefited as loan recipients.The Loan Fund also provides workshops andother trainings to help people start anddevelop their enterprises.

Housing has always held a central place withthe Capital District Community Loan Fund.This year, in four counties, it will launch itsfirst home mortgage-lending program.Competing nationally with over 450 otherapplicants for a large U.S. Department ofTreasury grant for this purpose, the Loan Fundwas one of only 62 organizations selected.

In another interesting housing initiative theLoan Fund has lent $500,000 toward theconstruction of 10 LEED "Platinum" certifiedlow-income green homes in Schenectady. Butthat's a whole story in itself.

I spoke with two other recent Loan Fundborrowers. Each operates a unique enterprisethat supplies an essential service.

Britta Lovegrove is an R.N. with a deep lovefor horses and working with children. At EBCTherapy Center, the business she co-ownswith two other women in the Albany Countyhill town of East Berne, she has the chance tocombine these interests. The center's initialsstand for "Everybody Counts," a phrase thatsums up the owners' philosophy.

EBC uses horses to assist with children withspecial needs, veterans, and otherpopulations. The staff also offers therapeuticriding, as well as yoga, energy therapy, andhome-based therapies.

Hippotherapy is a modality in which themovement of the horse promotes a person'smobility. The horse's stride stimulatesdormant muscles and nerves, and simplybeing on a horse gives a person "totalsensory bombardment," Lovegrove explains.

She describes the business venture, whichopened in 2006, as "a labor of love." She andher partners, who are physical therapists, allwork full-time jobs elsewhere.

The business originated after Lovegrove andone of future partners rented space at anindoor horse arena to work as volunteerswith special needs children. The sitepresented difficulties for people with physicallimitations so they decided to design a moresuitable setting. After doing a business planand purchasing land for their future therapycenter, they were able to secure a loan from abank. But they "maxed out" their borrowinglimit with only sufficient capital for a roughstructure.

Short the $60,000 required for fine-tuning thebuilding and adding comforts, they gotassistance from the Community Loan Fund.Lovegrove says she appreciated thewillingness of the staff to talk with them,listen, and advise.

"We can always call. They're much friendlier,and user-friendly than a bank," she says. Andwithout the Loan Fund, their dream ofmaking hippotherapy available in the CapitalRegion would be unfulfilled.

EBC Therapy Center251 Cole Hill Road, East Berne, NY 12059

518/872-1870 www.ebcpt.com

Sherry Birch had been sick for many years,making the rounds of various doctors' offices.Finally a physician tested her for celiacdisease, an intolerance to gluten (found in

grains like wheat, rye, and barley) that causessymptoms that mimic various diseases. Adecade ago, as the condition was "almostunheard of," recalls Birch, there were veryfew food products on the market.

It was 'learn or starve," so I started cooking,says Birch. When she and her family leftNiskayuna to live in rural Washington County,she decided to open a shop for others like her.They leased a vacant ice cream parlor inBrunswick and plowed in their life savings torefurbish it. She started with gluten-freepastas and soups, and added new foods, likebreads, donuts, cookies, and even pizza, asshe figured out how to make them.

Soon the business, which opened inSeptember 2007, was demanding all theirwaking hours. She gave up her cleaningbusiness, and before long, her husband had toquit his job, too. Internet sales took off, andthey shipped out orders every day.

But after a year and two weeks, the basementflooded in a bad storm, and the firedepartment ended up condemning thebuilding as unsafe. Their business insurancehelped tremendously, but during the sixmonths they were closed and in the processof trying to work out a move to a suitablelocation, they lost their clientele.

They finally found a 3,000 square footlocation in Latham. It's almost twice as big astheir first shop, but the insurance would onlypay to replace exactly what they had.Latham's more stringent building code alsomandated an extra bathroom, anotherunwelcome expense.

"No one would grant me a loan, even thoughwe had a successful business," Birch says.


462 Route 29 West, Saratoga, NY 12866 • 518-584-WINE (9463)www.thesaratogawinery.com

Spring Hours: Wed – Sat 12-7 Sun 12-5Select from 15 hand-crafted wines, including all natural Melomel – made with local honey

We offer a growing selection of LOCAL specialty foods,

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JOIN US FOR WINE TASTING DAILY! Gift certificates and gift baskets, wine accessories and gifts for the wine lover.

"The banks wanted a three-year market analysis for a business justlike ours, but we have the only 100 percent gluten-free restaurant inthe country!"

In the end, the Community Loan Fund saved the day. Birches wereable to borrow $20,000 to cover the shortfalls. Last March they re-opened Sherry Lynn's Gluten-Free as a specialty restaurant, bakery,and grocery store.While they still haven't gotten their online businessback to the point it was, they are continuing to grow and can finallysee "the light at the end of the tunnel."

Birch expresses deep gratitude. "They were absolutely amazing. Theytalked to me on a human level, and they believed in me when no oneelse would."

Sherry Lynn's Gluten-Free, LLC836 Troy-Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110

one mile west of the Northway518/786-7700

www.sherrylynnsglutenfree.com

The Capital District Community Loan Fund offers both a communityresource for small businesses and not-profits, and an opportunity tocontribute to the community wellbeing.

Consider loaning a portion of your savings to the Community LoanFund • Become a Loan Fund member or donate money outright.Making small loans with technical assistance and intensive contactdoes not pay for itself • Contact the Loan Fund about free workshopsfor micro enterprises, non-profits, and specialized groups like artists.

Capital District Community Loan Fund 255 Orange Street, Albany, NY 12210, 518/436-8586

www.cdclf.org


To the average consumer, choosingnutritional supplements can be daunting,bewildering and complex. “What nutrientsdo I need”, “What name brand do I use”,“Where should I buy them?” “Are they allthe same quality?” “Do I really needthem?” The best way to be guided in theworld of supplements is to speak withholistic health care professionals that areeducated about how they work in the body,and that work with nutrients in a settingwhere they see clients.Based on the degree that an individualwants to explore their nutritional health andneed, there are many ways to approach theuse of supplements. If you have symptoms ora health condition you are trying to resolve– which most people do – then there arecertain nutrients (as well as food sources)you will want to use to help resolve them.For example aswaganda can help adrenalfatigue, amino acids can support the liverand/or used for mood and brain balancing.If your feeling well and want to know whatyou should take as prevention measures –then you may want to consider a multivitamin, an Omega 3 Fatty Acid, probably aVitamin D and maybe some antioxidants.If you want to get advice on which of theplethora of specialty nutritional tests couldbe recommended for you, to unravel otherpotential unique deficiencies, a nutritionalprofessional can easily guide you.Once you realize what you need and decidewhat you want – you would want to knowwhat to know the best forms of the nutrientsto take, the proper dosing and duration

based on your unique needs, and then thebest company brands and locations of whereto purchase them.In a nutshell - Credentialed health careprofessionals, whom are committed toexcellence in nutritional health care and“Holistic and Integrative Medicine”, canguide you with this and more. They use onlyscientifically formulated professionalproducts that work and that have scientificand practice proven records of superiorresults. In contrast to this, the nutritionalproducts in the retail and consumer marketare not regulated. Therefore, when youpurchase these over the counter nutritionalline products, they can contain “anything”.The company is not regulated to test forquality, safety and effectiveness as doespractitioner/professional line products do.Most, if not all the negative pressinformation on supplements has been basedon retail products not practitioner products.This means the reports are based on theproducts sold at department stores or drugstores, not from your Integrative MedicinePhysician or Dietitian. Further, it is believedthat the negative press has been purposelydesigned and positioned for the benefit of(the extremely political and influential) U.S.based pharmaceutical companies.Meeting with an expert in nutrition to helpunderstand the use and need of supplementsis becoming more and more commonpractice in our culture. But this may not be achoice we will have in the future. The USgovernment wants to change that so thatthey can acquire money by over charging us.You can help stop this from happening.There is some BAD legislation in Congressright now that could harm our access tosupplements. Senator John McCain (R-AZ)and Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) havecosponsored a new bill misleadingly calledThe Dietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA).The DSSA would repeal key sections of theDietary Supplement Health and EducationAct (DSHEA), signed into law by then-President Clinton. This legislation wouldchange current regulation for dietarysupplements. It would give the FDA fulldiscretion and power to compile a discreetlist of supplements allowed to remain on themarket – making many of them prescriptiononly, limit what is available at all, whilebanning all others.Most of us understand that the FDA isfriendly to drug companies (which pay itsbills and provide good revolving door jobs)and hostile to supplement companies. Underthis bill, this same Agency could quitearbitrarily ban any supplement it wished orturn it over to drug companies to be

developed as a drug and sold for multiplesof its price as a supplement. This bill, ifpassed, can offer patents to drugcompanies and in many other ways severelylimit access to dietary supplements.A variety of organizations have swung intoaction to stop John McCain’s new bill thatthreatens dietary supplements. Alreadythousands of messages are on their way toCapitol Hill in protest.Please be sure that your message is amongthem. I encourage you to act now to send amessage to your Senator or Congressman, orboth. It took me 10 minutes. Please go towww.anh-usa.org/new_site/?p=2326, andclink the link “please take action now” in thefirst paragraph of the article. Then simplyfollow the directions and a form letter withyour information attached will be sent to yourSenator or Congressman. It is very simple.DSHEA protects supplements 1) if they arefood products that have been in the foodsupply and not chemically altered or 2) ifthey were sold as supplements prior to1994, the year that DSHEA was passed. If asupplement fits one of these twodescriptions, the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) cannot arbitrarily banit or reclassify it as a drug. DSHEA providesthe framework for effective regulation ofdietary supplements by the FDA. TheDietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA) wouldeliminate the supplement protectionscontained in DSHEA and allow the Food andDrug Administration (FDA) arbitraryauthority to draw up a list of whatsupplements can be sold and at whatpotency levels. These levels would go solow, the products would not be effective andyou would have to get a prescription from aMD who does not know about the nutrients,does not have time to educate himself andin most cases simply will not.So please act now and write to your Senatorand Congressman to oppose this legislation.Your future health depends on this.

NutritionalSupplement

Accessis at Risk by

Our GovernmentBy Mary Beth McCue RD LDN CDNIntegrative and Functional Nutritionist


While the term “geoengineering” is still beingrefined, the Council on Foreign Relationsdefines it as “Any of a variety of strategies,such as injecting light-reflecting particles intothe stratosphere, that might be used tomodify the Earth's atmosphere-ocean systemin an attempt to slow or reverse globalwarming.” (from the CFR UnilateralGeoengineering workshop May 5, 2008).

Here, at the outset, I submit that my firstremedy to the sickened condition of Earth issimply for our species to wake up from ourcoma! We are trained and educated awayfrom common sense and personalresponsibility. And we are starved for thekind of nourishment which simplicity andgenerosity might provide. For now,simplicity is gobbled up by excess. Oursense of entitlement shapes our solutions.Without addressing the root causes of ourcondition how can we hope to discover realremedies? The Bonnefire Coalition imaginesa world in which we share Earth's bountywith all Beings. It's only common decency.It's only common sense.

The Bonnefire Coalition was initiated tostop the pluming jet trails, what NASA callsPersistent Jet Contrails. PJCs are those trails- often appearing in grids, Xs and parallellines - which are witnessed and recordeddaily and globally. As PJCs expand theycombine to veil the sky and dim the sun.NASA agrees with the Bonnefire Coalitionthat PJCs are contributing to globalwarming and reducing direct sunlight. Whilewe have been busy trying to stop the effectsof PJCs, another geoengineering acronymhas sprouted in the laboratories of theglobal scientific community: SRM, which isthe focus of this article.SRM - Solar Radiation Management is oneof the most disturbingly inventive of thegeoengineering techniques currently beingdiscussed. By definition, “SRM and relatedstrategies seek to directly intervene in theclimate system, without directly affectingatmospheric greenhouse gasconcentrations.” (from Ken Caldeira'stestimony - Geoengineering: Assessing theImplications of Large-Scale Climate

Intervention, before the House Committeeon Science and Technology, November 5,2009). By another definition “SRM aims tooffset the warming caused by the buildup ofgreenhouse gases in the atmosphere byreducing the amount of solar energyabsorbed by the Earth.” (from Lee Lane'stestimony - Researching Solar RadiationManagement as a Climate Policy Optionbefore the House Committee on Science andTechnology, November 5, 2009).

On November 5, 2009 the U.S. governmentwent public with its SRM geoengineeringschemes, as the House of Representativesconducted Hearings before the HouseCommittee on Science and Technology. Thetestimonies describe possible futuregeoengineering techniques to abate globalwarming. This excursion into a public forumgives us a most rare opportunity to ask ourlegislators to speak on our behalf, to say firmlyto the geoengineers, “No! You may not!

The congressional hearings discuss severalmethods for implementing Solar RadiationManagement. The one of particular concernto us is administered by military jets, high inthe stratosphere, laying down particles ofSulfur Dioxide (Council on Foreign RelationsUnilateral Geoengineering May 5, 2008workshop) which effectively haze the skyand dim the sun. Our research indicates thatSulfur Dioxide is not the only particulatebeing considered. “Other candidatesinclude hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and soot.”(Crutzen, 2006) (from Lee Lane's November5, 2009 testimony). “A fairly broad range ofmaterials might be used as stratosphericscatterers” (Caldeira and Wood 2008) (fromLee Lane's November 5, 2009 testimony).“Potential types of particles for injectioninclude sulfur dioxide, aluminum oxide dustor even designer self-levitating aerosols…”(CFR Unilateral Geoengineering May 5,2008 workshop).

“Cloud Cover Modification,” is anotherSolar Radiation Management (SRM)technique which uses particulates to reflectsunlight back into space, away from theEarth. For this method of modifying marincstratocumulus clouds “the level of Sulfur

Dioxide emissions required to counteractthe effects of double CO2 concentrationswas estimated at 31,000 tons per day, anamount equivalent at the time to the SO2[Sulfur Dioxide] emissions from a coal-firedplant for an entire year.” (CFR UnilateralGeoengineering May 5, 2008 workshop).How is this use of SO2 even beingconsidered when we have been working toreduce the effects of SO2 emissions? Out offairness to the Council on Foreign Relations,they do acknowledge that this method“would have massive environmentalimpacts in the form of acid rain.” If so, whyare we even discussing its use?

In his November 5th testimony, whileassessing risks of various geoengineeringtechniques, Professor Alan Robock, of RutgersUniversity, states that “with brightening ofmarine clouds there is… a possible largeimpact on the oceanic food chain due to lesssolar energy needed for plankton at the baseof the food chain to grow.” Less solar energy[which is] needed for the plankton at the baseof the food chain? If common senseprevailed, this SRM technique would bedismissed without consideration.

Further, if “brightened clouds” over theoceans will steal sunlight from fundamentallife processes, what losses are incurredwhen the Aerosol Program hazes the sky?In a critical breach of common sense someof our scientists seem to have forgotten thatwe need the sun. We need direct sunlightfor fundamental life processes such asphotosynthesis! Yes, there are creatureswho flourish in darkness and withoutoxygen, but we are not those creatures, norare countless other sentient beings whoshare this planet with us. It is astounding,really, that so simple and significant aconcept seems to have completely escapedsome of the scientific community.

Before continuing with other risks of theproposed Aerosol Program, I want tointerject another sun-related solutionwhich was discussed by the Council ofForeign Relations in its May 5, 2008Unilateral Geoengineering workshop.

Geoengineering TechniqueSolar Radiation Management

Without addressing the root causes of our condition how can we hope

to discover real remedies? The Bonnefire Coalition imagines a

world in which we share Earth's bounty with all Beings.By Bonnie Hoag for The Bonnefire Coalition


“Land Cover Modification - A few largecontinental nations might be able toproduce significant changes in planetaryalbedo [Earth's ability to reflect incominglight] through massive modifications inland cover. This would entail replacing darkforest cover with much lighter and morereflective cover such as grass lands orsteppe.” “Replacing” is a euphemism fordeforestation. Deforestation? At a timewhen the planet is said to be suffocatingfrom Carbon Dioxide? Didn't we learn askids that forests are our friends becausethey breathe in our carbon dioxide and giveback to us our oxygen?

Where, in all of this, are the EnvironmentalImpact Statements? Where is the publicawareness? Why are we not included in thedecision-making process? Where are ourlegislators who will defend for us the mostfundamental life processes which are atstake with these Dr. Strangelove“solutions”?

Returning, for a moment, to Professor AlanRobock's November 5, 2009 testimonybefore the House Committee on Scienceand Technology, and focusing on SolarRadiation Management technology, he listsseventeen risks.1) SRM could produce drought in Asia andAfrica, threatening the food and watersupply for billions of people. [Practicalracism aside, the Earth's atmosphere is aclosed system. What goes around, comesaround. BH]

2) It will not halt continued oceanacidification from CO2.3) It would deplete ozone.4) It would increase dangerous ultravioletradiation.5) With SRM the reduction of direct solarradiation and the increase in diffuseradiation would make the sky less blue andproduce much less solar power fromsystems using focused sunlight. [And wouldprofoundly affect fundamental lifeprocesses. BH] 6) Any system to inject particles or theirprecursors into the stratosphere at theneeded rate would have large localenvironmental impacts.7) If discontinued there would be muchmore rapid warming, much more rapid thanwould occur without geoengineering.8) If a series of volcanic eruptions producedunwanted cooling, geoengineering couldnot be stopped rapidly to compensate.9) Geoengineering would put permanentpollution above astronomers' telescopes.10) There will be unexpected consequences.11) There will be human error withsophisticated technical systems.12) Geoengineering would lessen the publicwill to address climate change withmitigation.13) Do humans have the right to control theclimate of the entire planet to benefit them,without consideration of all other species? 14) Potential military use of geoengineeringtechnology raises ethical concerns.15) What if some benefit from

geoengineering technology while others areharmed? 16) Who would control geoengineeringsystems?17) The costs of implementinggeoengineering would be less than thecosts associated with the potentialdamages of geoengineering.It is important to add two more problems toProfessor Robock's list 18) SRM will affect physical and mentalhealth. The Dimming of the Sun andincreasing manmade cloud cover arealready associated with a rise in Rickettsand other vitamin-D-deficiency diseases, aswell as depression and asthma.19) SRM will affect life processes vital toagriculture, forestry and naturalresources/systems.References: Historical Perspectives on “Fixing the Sky” November 5, 2009 statement(before the US House of Representatives Committee on Science andTechnology) Dr. James Fleming, Professor and Director of Science,Technology and Society, Colby CollegeGeoengineering: Assessing the Implications of Large-Scale ClimateIntervention November 5, 2009 testimony (before the House Committeeon Science and Technology) Ken Caldeira, Carnegie Institution ofWashington, Department of Global Ecology, Stanford, CaliforniaGeoengineering the Climate: Science, Governance & UncertaintyNovember 5, 2009 testimony (before the House Committee on Science &Technology) John Shepherd of the National Oceanography Centre,University of Southampton, United KingdomResearching Solar Radiation Management as a Climate Policy OptionNovember 5, 2009 statement (before the House Committee on Scienceand Technology) Lee Lane, Co-director of the American Enterprise InstituteGeoengineering ProjectUnilateral Geoengineering Council on Foreign Relations May 5, 2008 workshopTo read the November 5, 2009 congressional testimonies on geoengineeringplease use the following links: agriculturedefensecoalition.org/ Use searchengine “Geoengineering”science.house.gov/Publications/hearings_markups_details.aspx?NewsID=2668 and/or democrats.science.house.gov/Media/file/Commdocs /hearings/2009/Full/5nov/Robock_Testimony.pdf

Contact the Bonnefire Coalition at [email protected] or 518-854-7764 in New York State Learn more about the Bonnefire Coalition byclicking on its icon at www.agriculturedefensecoalition.org


By Diane Conroy-LaCivita, Harmony House MarketplaceEarly Spring is the also the maple sugaring season. Once the warm daysand cool nights have given way to consistently warmer weather, many aroundNew York State celebrate maple season. Upstate and downstate alikecome alive with communities holding festivals, complete with mapledemonstrations and tastings. Pure maple is a natural product withconsiderable variation in flavors. Like wines, syrup flavor is affected bysoil type, tree genetics, weather conditions, time during the season whenthe sap is collected, and processing technique. Producers in every regionconsistently are able to produce great tasting, high quality products.Maple is truly a wonderful local product that should be enjoyed!

2 tablespoons maple syrup • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar16 oz. fully cooked sausages (Bilinski’s of Cohoes are available at

Price Chopper stores) • 8 ripe fresh figs, each cut lengthwise in half

Cooking Local with Maple Syrup

Maple-Glazed Sausages with Figs

Preheat oven to 450o F. In a smallbowl blend maple syrup andbalsamic vinegar. On a foiledbaking pan, place sausages andfigs in a single layer and brush withsyrup mixture. Bake for 8-10minutes or until heated throughand golden.Turn sausage and figsover and brush with remainingsyrup mixture. Return to oven andbake for another 4-5 minutesServe with fresh steamed swisschard form your local farmersmarket for a complete meal


Continued from Page 23But Steve is committed to quality, and he felt that the old lines hadto go. “The doctor said I should keep busy with work to stayhealthy. I told him, don't worry about that one,” he laughed.Rascher's next ambition is to get his syrup certified by NortheastOrganic Farmers Association (NOFA). It's a very stringentclassification that requires absolute purity. Rasher is confident thathe'll pass with ease - he owns the property on both sides of theroad, all the way to the ridge tops. “There are no contaminants inthis valley,” he point out. “Everything I do here is natural. It's justme, the maples, and God's hand over mine.” The trees are justreturning the favor of a lifetime of care. It is a love affair, for theman that maple made.

For more information, contact Rascher's Sugar House 347 Perry Hill Road, Town of Salem 518-854-3770

Features an owner-designed 5x12 wood-fired stainless steelevaporator. Won "Worlds Best Maple Syrup" and

New York State Legislature Recognition.Open year round by appointment.

Tours during maple season.


ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Alteris Renewables, Inc.Commercial and Residential Solar and Wind Energy 120 Broadway, Menands, NY 12204518-512-5154www.alterisinc.com

Empire Solar StoreSolar, Wind and Alt-Energy Home Accessories7 Brunswick Rd., Suite 2, Troy, NY 12180518-272-1461www.empiresolarstore.com

The Radiant Store, Inc.Solar Heating and Hot Water Solutions10 Hermes Rd., Malta, NY 12020518-899-2791www.theradiantstoreinc.com

FARMS AND FOOD

Locust Grove SmokehouseButcher Shop and USDA Processor of Beef and Pork4725 SR 40, Argyle, NY 12809518-638-8591

Mack Brook Farm100% Grass-Fed Beef312 McEachron Hill Rd., Argyle, NY 12801518-638-6187www.mackbrookfarm.com

Native Farm FlowersFlorist and local flower growerWing Road Farm, Saratoga Springs,NY 12866518-369-8713

Schenectady Green MarketPublic Farmers MarketSunday mornings @ Proctors Arcade,Schenectady, NYwww.schenectadygreenmarket.com

Nagimor FarmPasture-raised beef, pork, chicken and eggs165 Hite Rd., Warnerville, NY 12187 518-254-0021

Ozze FoodsWholesome snack foodPO Box 4772, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866518-221-0806www.zennuts.com

Saratoga OrganicsHydroponics and home gardening supplies19 Front St., Ballston Spa, NY 12020 518-885-2005 www.saratogaorganics.com

Rathbun's MapleMaple products1208 Hatch Hill Rd., Whitehall, NY 12887 518-642-1799www.rathbunsmaple.com

Dry Brook Sugar HouseMaple products432 Chambers Rd. Salem, NY 12865518-854-3955www.drybrooksugarhouse.com

Grottoli's MapleMaple products91 Ritchie Rd., Middle Granville, NY 12835 [email protected]

Mapleland FarmsMaple products525 Bunker Hill Rd. Argyle, NY 12865518-854-7669 www.maplelandfarms.com

Nightingale's Maple FarmMaple products4888 Jersey Hill Rd., Hagaman, NY 12010 518-882-9334

Rascher's Sugar HouseMaple products347 Perry Hill Rd., Sushan, NY 12873518-854-3770

UrbavoresHome gardening services518-421-2802 [email protected]

BUILDING SERVICES

Legacy Timber FramesTimber Frame Design and Construction691 CR 70, Stillwater, NY 12170 518-279-9108

Phinney Design GroupArchitecture and LEED Structures142 Grand Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 518-587-7120 www.phinneydesign.com

Advanced Energy PanelsManufacturer of thermal window inserts91 Church St., Hoosick Falls NY 12090518-686-9581www.advancedenergypanels.com

Northeast Spray FoamHigh performance insulation7 Rocky Ridge, Warrensburg, NY 12885518-623-7010 www.northeastsprayfoam.com

PERSONAL SERVICES

Adirondack Advanced ChiropracticHolistic wellness and spinal care402 Rowland St., Ballston Spa, NY 12020518-363-0202www.adirondacadvancedchiropractic.com

Harry Moran/Cornerstone FinancialSustainable Financial Consulting1 Rozell Dr., Ballston Lake, NY 12019518-877-8800 www.cornerstone-fa.com

Enhanced WellnessEco home and personal products64 N. Allen St., Albany, NY 12203518-459-0640

The Beauty SocietyHolistic salon services123 Dunning St., Malta, NY 12020518-899-7570

Pure Elements SalonAn organic salon1726 Western Ave., Albany, NY 12203518-608-5405

HOME SERVICES

Blue Moon Sharpening ServiceKnife and blade sharpening and hand-made gourmet [email protected]

Eco MaidsGreen cleaning services518-298-4060 www.ecomaids.com

Green Conscience Home and GardenEco home products and accessories33 Church St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866518-306-5196www.green-conscience.com

Green MarthaHome organizing and de-clutter your lifePO Box 11, Greenwich, NY 12834518-692-9539

Preble RealtyServing Southern Washington County4061 SR 22, Salem, NY 12865 518-854-7888www.PrebleRealty.com

Roohan RealtyServing Saratoga County519 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866518-366-0946www.roohanrealty.com

RETAIL

ArtiqueLocal art and craft emporium1536 Crescent Rd., Clifton Park, NY 12065518-724-0750 www.artiqueshopping.com

FabGreenWear.comGreen fashions518-879-3947

Black Dog Wine & Liquor63 W. Main St., Cambridge, NY 12816518-677-2275 www.blackdogwines.com

Runway 7 eco FashionsSustainably-minded Mens and Womens clothing and accessories952 Troy Schenectady Rd. Latham, NY 12110518-378-7995 www.runway7eco.com

The Saratoga WineryLocal vintner464 Rt. 29, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 518-584-9463 www.thesaratogawinery.com

Saratoga ZymergistWine and beer making supplies and advice112 Excelsior Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY12866 518-580-9785www.saratogazymergist.com

Zola KidsSustainably-minded Kids Clothing andaccessories380 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866518-583-2050www.zolakids.com

RESTAURANTS

Amigos CantinaMexican style restaurant42 Ferry St., Schuylerville, NY 12871 518-695-9595www.amigoscantina.net

Harmony House MarketplaceCafé and bakery184-190 Remsen St., Cohoes, NY 12047 518-238-2232

Some Like It HotCafé and bistro93 Main St., Greenwich, NY 12866518-692-0200

SCHOOLS

Adirondack SchoolAn alternative to public school5158 CR 113, Greenwich, NY 12834 518-695-5294 www.adirondackschoolneny.com

Directory of AdvertisersPlease mention that you found them in eco-LOCAL Living!


Documents

Eco-LOCAL Living magazine Spring 2010