Welcome to our February eNewsletter!

Can you believe that February is already here? 2022 seems to be going quickly – we hope everyone has had the chance to enjoy the winter weather this year! Lewis County is perfect for snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and downhill skiing this time of year. Find a few suggestions on winter activities in this eNewsletter!

This month’s eNewsletter also includes a letter from the Chair of our Board of Directors, Nick Mir, one new Member, this month’s Cuisine Trail Spotlight, our February Giveaway, information on Membership renewals, and more!

Starting this month our eNewsletters will be directly on our website – instead of as a pdf or other file. We hope this makes the eNewsletter easier to access for all of our Members and readers!

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Letter from the Chair of the Board

My family and I took over operations at Snow Ridge in 2015, after having worked over 40 years collectively in the ski industry. I grew up south of Syracuse, in the small, rural town of Fabius, where my mother and owner of the resort, Cyndy, still resides today. The area is very similar to the North Country in a number of ways, allowing me to feel at home as soon as I moved to Turin following the purchase. Since then, I’ve been able to explore the beautiful landscape, frequent a number of local shops and businesses, and feel nothing but support from the community as a whole.

I’d be remised in my duties if I didn’t use this opportunity to promote shopping local and getting out to explore this beautiful place we all call home. Valentine’s Day is coming up, and countless local shops have the perfect gift waiting for that special someone. Rather than placing that order on Amazon or going down to Destiny, consider grabbing a gift from one of the local florists, gift shops, or food producers. Enjoy a meal at one of the many excellent restaurants, spend the night at a beautiful bed and breakfast, relax with a message at a spa, or enjoy the outdoors on the slopes (shameless plug), snow tubing, or with a snowmobile rental! Our local businesses have so much to offer and shopping local keeps your money right here in Lewis County!

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KOA Natural Bridge

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The Lewis County Cuisine Trail?

The Lewis County Cuisine Trail is a trail going through our beautiful region featuring local producers and their cuisine. On this trail you will find goat farms such as Cedar Hedge Farm, cow dairies, farmer owned cooperatives, Museums, famous Croghan Bologna, and more!

If you’re looking to find out more about the trail, visit the website and make your way through our delicious local cuisine: cuisinetrail.com

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This months giveaway is featuring five delicious products from Cedar Hedge Farm!

In this gift basket you will find Cedar Hedge Farm’s Caramel Drizzle, Blueberry Ham, Elderberry Jam, Spiced Apple Jelly, and Ginger Snap Cookies! The winner of this giveaway is in for a great jam session! The winner will also win a reusable Shop Local Lewis County bag!

You can enter to win these goodies on either Facebook or Instagram!

HOW TO ENTER!

1. LIKE the post
2. FOLLOW us on Facebook or Instagram!
3. COMMENT your favorite jam flavor

The winner for the giveaway will be randomly selected on February 11th.

Terms and Conditions: In order to win the giveaway you must be a resident of New York State and must be able to pick up the prize within two weeks at the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce (7551 South State Street, Lowville, 13367).

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Business Leaders Breakfast

Naturally Lewis is excited to bring back Business Leaders Breakfasts to our Lewis County Business Community!

Business Leaders Breakfast events, hosted by Naturally Lewis, are informative networking events created to bring the business community and like-minded individuals together in one room to discuss ‘all things Lewis County.’ Join them on February 11, 2022 from 8:30-10:00am, at Lowville Elks Lodge in Lowville, NY, to rebuild and reconnect our business community through a series of speed networking discussions.

Link to register: naturallylewis.com

Naturally Lewis recently also shared a list of local places to get Valentine’s Gifts from! Why not take a peak?

Find it here: Local Love: Gifting in Lewis County

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the Great New York Sportsman’s Expo

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Updates from our Members

Our Members also have plenty of information to share! See updates on events, business meetings, business initiatives and more in this section of our eNewsletter!

Winter in Lewis County

There are plenty of things to do in Lewis County this time of the year!

Whether you’re more of an outdoor person or an indoor person – we have suggestions for you!

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Looking for regular updates on what’s happening for the Chamber and our Members?

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! See a sneak peak of our latest Instagram posts below.

• Facebook
• Instagram

Looking for more upcoming events in the area?

What else has been happening on our website? Check out our latest posts below!

• RiverFest 2023 Sponsorship Opportunities
• Riverfest 2022
• May eNewsletter
• Chamber Community Cup Team
• April eNewsletter

HELLO 2022!

We’re here to greet 2022 with a new eNewsletter!

Download the eNewsletter below to get the full version of the eNewsletter – this blog post only includes little snipets of the treasures within!

Download the eNewsletter here!

Message from our Vice Chair:

Happy New Year!

My name is Jackie Mahoney, and I am currently the vice chair of the Chamber Board and have been on the chamber board for almost 9 years. My full-time job is as the Director of Recreation, Forestry and Parks for Lewis County. That makes me a great partner with the chamber to promote Lewis County. You will often see me at the trade shows with Kristen, promoting the local recreational trails and businesses.

Lewis County has many small businesses, so many that is often hard to showcase them all. Just from my own personal experience, I try to promote the visitors guide and talk about my experiences and point out specialty shops. I also try to ask people what their local favorites are as well.

I believe in shop small, shop local where your purchases benefit local families and with the new year often comes a time for reflection and resolutions. This year I have really taken a hard look at myself, my family and what I can do for my community. For 2022, I plan to explore more local shops and share my positive experiences. I and I would love to hear more about your resolutions and goals for 2022 or feel free to reach out anytime if you have ideas on how we can improve Lewis County chamber of Commerce, Lewis County Recreation, Forestry and Parks or ways we support our local businesses. I can be reached by email at jackiemahoney@lewiscounty.ny.gov

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Jackie Mahoney, Vice Chair

JANUARY GIVEAWAY

This year for our Giveaways we are focusing on the stops along the Lewis County Cuisine Trail!

Each month we will giveaway products from along the Cuisine Trail. This month we are featuring Autumn Ridge Goat Farm! The gift basket pictured includes lotion, soap, and lip balm.

Thank you for reading!

Stay up to date with news from the Chamber and our Members by following us on Facebook and Instagram!

Welcome to the December eNewsletter!

You can read a few excerpts from the eNewsletter below – don’t forget to download the eNewsletter for the full version!

You won’t want to miss out on the updates and review from 2021!

Three new members join us this December! Welcome to Foothills Market, Osceola Tug Hill XC Ski Center and Homes Realty: Amanda Mattimore. Read up on our new Members in the eNewsletter as well as updates on Chamber events, a review of 2021, and more.

Download the eNewsletter here!

Our Directors Messsage to our readers:

Happy December,

As we all gear up for more of this holiday season and plan for the upcoming year it’s important for us to reflect on how far we have come as well. 2021 provided many of us opportunities to look outside the status quo and identify new goals and new ways to achieve those goals. This month’s newsletter contains many of the successes that the Chamber was part of this year. With our members continued support we plan on keeping those successes growing for years to come. Thank you for all you have done this year to keep Lewis County forging ahead!

There is still time to shop local for any gifts or other holiday purchases you would like to make. If you are having a difficult time deciding what to get for your loved ones, coworkers, employees, or that one nice neighbor you would like to thank – we suggest County Ca$h! County Ca$h is a local gift certificate that can be used at 24 local businesses. The Chamber office will be closed Dec 24 through to January 3 so please be sure to make any purchases for your holiday season before then!

We look forward to next year as we celebrate this years successes!

Kristen Ward Aucter

Executive Director

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November Giveaway

Each month we feature a giveaway from one of our Chamber Members! This month we are giving away $25 County Ca$h which can be used at more than 20 local shops and 1 item of choice from our shop.

To enter the giveaway please click on the buttons below the image to be redirected to Facebook or Instagram. There you can like and share the post on Facebook to enter the giveaway, or like and comment on Instagram!

Extra entries will be given on Facebook to those who comment a picture of their favorite holiday decorations or their Christmas tree!

Thank you for reading!

We would like to share with you that our office will be closed from December 24th until January 3rd.

Welcome to our October eNewsletter!

Spooky Season is upon us!

Looking forward to haunting and spooky events this season?

Why not find out more about the Haunting of Tug Hill Vineyards, the Annual Meeting & Award Dinner, and more in this edition of the eNewsletter!

Find out more about our monthly giveaway in our eNewsletter by downloading it below or from the excerpt below.

Download the eNewsletter here!

Click on the button below to download the eNewsletter.

Excerpts from the eNewsletter:

A Message from the Executive Director:

Dear Chamber Members,

I don’t know about all of you but Fall has always been one of my favorite times of year. The colors are bold, vibrant and strong; they are also a reminder to us of all that the earth has given us throughout the season. It is a time of inner calm and celebration of what is to come. I’m ever thankful to live and raise my family in such a beautiful place.

As the months fly by in preparation for the winter so does our time here at the Chamber. We worked with many of you through the year to prepare for the future, taking into consideration all that you would like to see from us and are excited for those plans to come to fruition.

On November 4th we will be hosting our Annual Awards and Meeting Ceremony at 3 Willows in Lyons Falls and hope to see some of you there. It will be good to catch up and update everyone on our progress through 2021 and our vision of 2022.

Monthly Giveaway:

This months giveaway is for the Lowville Farmers Co-op!

Win a $15 gift card from the Lowville Farmers Co-op and 1 item of choice from the ADK Tug Hill Shop.

In order to enter the giveaway tag a friend on our Facebook or Instagram post! And don’t forget to like and share the post!

The winner will randomly selected on September 18th!

Welcome to our September eNewsletter!

It’s National Honey Month! This month’s eNewsletter features a giveaway with local made honey products from Wakefield Apiaries in celebration.

Find out more about our monthly giveaway in our eNewsletter by downloading it below or from the excerpt below.

This Friday is the final Food Truck Friday! The last Food Truck Friday will be at Lyons Falls. We can’t wait to see you there! This eNewsletter also has updates on the Fall Foliage Tour, a big thank you to one of our Members, and more!

DOWNLOAD THE eNEWSLETTER HERE

EXCERPTS FROM THE eNEWSLETTER

A Message from the Executive Director

Dear Chamber Members,

“Anticipation” represents this time of year perfectly. School starts for all of our littles. Black bear season is coming, then bow-hunting followed by Halloween. Rifle season comes in, along comes Thanksgiving, and finally black powder week in early December leading up to Christmas and New Year’s. Before then… wood has to be split and stacked to dry in the late summer sun, kindling bundled into one of the stalls of the wood shed, apples picked and put into the cellar, potatoes and onions dug, dried and stored. Before deer season, one also needs to spend a few days in the woods, looking for a good bunch of rubs along established trails. Fall also is the time to get the sugarbushes in order – lines repaired, taps checked, machinery cleaned and tuned up in anticipation of the first thaw.

 

Fall is coming when you feel that first cool breeze, the one that slips its way through the woods then out across the meadows while you are finishing up the last summer mowing. It’s the first smell of damp leaves and ferns, of moss and ripe apples, familiar scents to us locals. And that brings to mind all the fall seasons we have experienced before: the first sounds of a buck moving through the dried leaves & undergrowth; a pheasant exploding up into the air and into the bushes; or sunrise peeking over the Adirondacks, freshening the dark landscape. Now it’s time to put jars of honey and maple syrup on the back of the wood cookstove so they pour better. And it’s time to check your apples so that one bad one won’t ruin a whole barrel. And please… don’t store them with potatoes.

As September settles in, I start to think that anticipation is the most gripping of human emotions, especially when we cherish a season that is so short-lived. Fall quickly turns to a long winter here in Lewis County. But I suppose, that’s no different than life. The sweetest years are those that foreshadow the end of something rather than a beginning. Or maybe we misjudge winter’s darkness. The fading away is just another season, one that leads to rebirth and spring. And besides, for our snowmobilers and bakers, winter is the best of times. 

Monthly Giveaway

This months giveaway is for National Honey Month! Wind locally made honey products from Wakefield Apiaries and 1 item of choice from the ADK Tug Hill Shop.

In order to enter the giveaway tag a friend on our Facebook or Instagram post!

The winner will randomly selected on September 16th!

Welcome to our August eNewsletter!

It’s National Goat Cheese Month in August! Which is why in this eNewsletter our Giveaway features Hidden Pastures Dairy!

Find out more about the Giveaway in the eNewsletter or in the excerpt below.

So many wonderful things are happening this year – Riverfest was July 31st, the 200th Fair was the week before – and many more things are happening this August! The Town Hall Theater is reopening this weekend, the Mind Body Soul Retreat is later in August. In August we published our updated Community Guide, we have a new Giveaway inspired by National Goat Cheese Month, and so much more!

Download the eNewsletter here!

Here’s a few excerpts from the eNewsletter:

Message from the Executive Director

Dear Chamber Members,

For some small businesses, the summer is a time to catch up, clean house and begin planning for the Fall season, well, after the Fair of course. Reflecting on our progress and analyzing certain aspects of our business helps us to implement new ideas and projects which enable us to become better business owners.

As an organization, the Chamber is always looking for ways in which to improve.

Over the past year, I have noticed two areas in which the Chamber has grown as an organization which supports its members in the common goal of a successful business community.

First of all, the energy level of our group is constantly on the rise. With the completion of our strategic plan our board is rejuvenated and excited about the future and where it can take the entire organization. Secondly, our membership is growing with speed and fervor. Every month, we have at least two new businesses joining the Chamber of Commerce. The retention of our membership also illustrates

the strength and commitment within our organization. I encourage you to get involved with the local business community through the Chamber of Commerce, not just to network, but to truly build solid relationships with our peers.

The only way to make the Chamber work for each and every one of us is to show support through participation of Chamber events and to become involved with our fellow Chamber members and their businesses.

Monthly Giveaway

This months giveaway is for National Goat Cheese Month – win 2 Grab n’ Go Goat Milk Gelatos and 1 Chevre round from Hidden Pastures Diary and 1 item from the ADK Tug Hill Shop

In order to enter the giveaway comment on our Facebook or Instagram post with what your favorite thing about or from Hidden Pastures Dairy is!

The winner will randomly selected on August 17th!

Welcome to our July eNewsletter!

This eNewsletter features Hopenhagen’s Lavender Festival!

What a fun packed month July is! So many festivals and events happening – including the Hopenhagen Lavender Festival July 10th, Riverfest July 31st, and more! Hopenhagen is having their annual Lavender Festival on July 10th – join them for craft and food vendors, live music, you cut lavender and more!

Download the eNewsletter here!

Here’s a few excerpts from this month’s eNewsletter:

Letter from the Executive Director

Happy July folks!

Growing up during the summer in Lewis County meant many things. The following are my highlights:

• Hanging out under the bridge in Castorland looking for crayfish or salamanders. One year I found three kittens someone had dumped there. I put them in a box, drove them home on my bike’s handlebars and begged my dog-loving father to keep all of them. We compromised and kept one.
• Other days it meant that I would be working on summer homework at the picnic table that my mom said I needed to not “forget” what I had learned at school the previous year. I know now that it was just her way of getting us to sit down and give her a rest and realize that she was a genius.
• Walking all the way up the “hill” to go to the gas station to get a popsicle on a hot day only to be hotter than when we started when we got back home.
• Rollerblading down that same hill and hoping that I would be able to jump the train tracks at the bottom without breaking every bone in my body.
• During the hottest days, it meant that after dark I could sit outside and watch for the heat lightning, praying for a huge thunderstorm to break up the heat. There was nothing better than the smell that was produced once the cool rain started hitting the hot roads and dusty yards. You could physically feel the temperature dropping giving us relief from the day. I remember my dad waking us up on really hot nights to watch the light show even though we had been asleep for hours.

It occurs to me, looking back, that at some point I stopped enjoying those little things. Things that were so simple and, besides the homework, enjoyable. I didn’t know at the time that not every person had the opportunity to grow up in a place like this and I wish that I had not taken it for granted.

As adults, I think we can all get caught up in the rush and frenzy that happen in our daily lives. I’m going to take a moment to challenge all of you to think back on your best outdoor summer memories and try them again this summer. By yourself or with your kids, family or friends, see what types of things you can recreate or make new memories with all of the new things that are here and SHARE them with us! Our motto for many years for visitors has been “Our Backyard, Your Adventure” but we can have those adventures too!

New Members in July

Monthly Giveaway!

This months giveaway is for National Ice Cream Month – win a $10 Gift Card to Good Ol’ Wishy’s and 1 item from the ADK Tug Hill Shop

In order to enter the giveaway comment on our Facebook or Instagram post with what your favorite ice cream flavor is! Or just tell us your favorite thing about Good Ol’ Wishy’s!

The winner will randomly selected on July 15th!

Welcome to our June eNewsletter!

Check out the month’s eNewsletter for a message from our Chairwoman, upcoming events, Fair Parade Registration Information, New Members, and more! We’re getting you ready for National Ice Cream Month with this eNewsletter – by theme and by providing a list of local places to buy ice cream!

Download the full eNewsletter below!

Here’s a few excerpts from our eNewsletter:

A message from our Chairwoman

Chamber Members,

What a beautiful Memorial Day weekend we just had! It provided a nice backdrop for reflection on the meaning of the holiday and those who we honor for their sacrifice. I applaud the local communities for all of the banners that have gone up honoring our veterans. I encourage the businesses with a banner out front to “adopt” that veteran and think about a way to honor him or her either now or maybe on Veterans Day.

With a little extra time off, my family was able to spend time with my parents, grandparents and sisters’ families. Watching the cousins play together reminded me of my childhood; running around outside barefoot with a whole gaggle (yes, gaggle) of cousins. It’s a beautiful way to spend your childhood.

Now, back in my office on Tuesday, I revisit a thought I’ve had a lot lately: how do we, as a business community, connect with our youth as they grow up and eventually graduate high school and start working or go to trade school or college, stay local or venture away? How do we make sure they know there is a place for them to continue to grow and thrive in Lewis County? Or to return to to raise their family? How do businesses find those young adults who want to stay in or return to Lewis County and how do those young adults find those businesses. Because there is opportunity here. There are jobs here. The momentum is 1000% going in the right direction for Lewis County to thrive.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Email or call me any time:

cheyenne@naturallylewis.com | 315-376-9724

New Members in June

Monthly Giveaway!

New this Month!

Starting this month we will be doing a monthly giveaway! Each giveaway will feature one of our Member businesses (either a gift card or item from them) as well as an item of choice from our ADK Tug Hill shop.

In order to enter the giveaway you comment on our Facebook or Instagram post with what your favorite thing from the PB&J Cafe is! You can tell us your favorite drink, favorite bagel, or just your favorite thing about the PB&J Cafe!

The winner of the $10 Gift Card and ADK Tug Hill item of choice will be randomly selected on June 15th!