Sustainable Communities Program—More Than Just Beer!

While we love to talk hops, small grains and beer, the Sustainable Communities Program is gearing up for a number of new projects to be launched in 2016. Already in progress is a community composting initiative in the hamlet of Rensselaerville. A meeting for interested residents will be held in May 2016 at the Carey Institute. Stay tuned to our website and Facebook page for the meeting announcement. Moving forward, we hope to partner with other groups from across the town who are interested in starting small-scale sustainability projects.

Also in development is a Hill & Mountain Farming Project. In many countries around the world, hill and mountain farming is considered a distinct agricultural practice possessing high natural, cultural and social value, despite being economically and physically challenging. The traditional American outlook is very different—hill and mountain agricultural resources are often treated as marginal and less valuable to the region’s agricultural economy.

The Hill & Mountain Farming Project seeks to change this perception. The project will bring together farmers and land owners in the Hilltowns to learn more about hill and mountain farming practices in different parts of the world and identify practices and products that are suited to our landscape. The first event will be a presentation on orchard meadows in Germany in June 2016 at the Carey Institute.

If you are a farmer or landowner interested in learning more about the  Hill & Mountain Farming Project, please contact Rebecca Platel at 518-797-5100 or rplatel@careyinstitute.org.