New drone corridor between Syracuse & Montreal in the works

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The first international electric, advanced air mobility (AAM) corridor between Syracuse Hancock International Airport and Quebec is under development. VPorts, a Mirabel, Québec–based firm, is developing the corridor project. VPorts specializes in the design, construction, and operation of advanced AAM infrastructure, per a Nov. 29 release from the Syracuse airport. The corridor […]

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The first international electric, advanced air mobility (AAM) corridor between Syracuse Hancock International Airport and Quebec is under development.

VPorts, a Mirabel, Québec–based firm, is developing the corridor project. VPorts specializes in the design, construction, and operation of advanced AAM infrastructure, per a Nov. 29 release from the Syracuse airport.

The corridor stretches from the Syracuse airport to the VPort vertiport in Mirabel, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal.

As described in the release, the corridor will “foster the establishment of an AAM ecosystem that will provide a platform” for full commercial, cargo-transport operations using electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, or what the company described as “large, helicopter-sized drones” capable of transporting commercial cargo and people.

The first eVTOL aircraft test flights are planned for 2023.

A consortium of international organizations including VPorts; Syracuse–based NUAIR; Syracuse Hancock International Airport; Aéro Montréal; Innovitech; the Unmanned Aerial System Centre of Excellence (Alma); and Helijet International have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish international electric AAM corridors between Québec and the U.S.

NUAIR is short for Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, Inc. The nonprofit focuses on UAS (uncrewed aircraft systems) operations, aeronautical research, safety management, and consulting services. A UAS includes a drone and equipment used to control its flight. A drone is also referred to in the industry as an uncrewed aerial vehicle, or UAV.

“The aim of the corridors is to build an AAM ecosystem that will provide a platform for full commercial cargo transport operations using eVTOLs,” Fethi Chebil, president and founder of VPorts, said. “They will allow the consortium’s members to explore all aspects of AAM, including goods transportation, charging readiness, stakeholder management, business cases, security and safety protocols, social acceptability and urban integration of infrastructure and operations. Many companies and organizations rapidly investing in these related new capabilities are present in Central New York State today with good prospects of growth, and others are likely to be attracted to the region.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced that the state will be providing NUAIR with an additional $21 million in “Central New York Rising” Upstate Revitalization Initiative funding. NUAIR will use the funding to continue its work and focus on the UAS and AAM industry hub in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley.

The additional money will allow for infrastructure testing and deployment to enable advanced industry applications, state agency adoption of UAS, AAM development, and associated workforce development.

Economic benefits

A recent study by Washington, D.C.–based NEXA Capital Partners, LLC estimates that the full expansion of UAS and AAM-related industries to Central New York could create over 8,100 full-time jobs by 2040. Such an expansion could also incrementally generate over $1.3 billion in direct, indirect, and induced economic benefits.

That includes direct effects of investment in the region of up to $130 million, the indirect effects of household earnings of workers, and the induced effects of value-added benefits and additional industry earnings.

This impact on the region “will produce jobs for an emerging knowledge-based economic sector, with highly skilled workers sourced in part by existing New York State university institutions,” per the announcement.

“There are currently over 5,000 underutilized regional airports throughout the United States,” NUAIR CEO Ken Stewart said. “The development of this international AAM corridor between Syracuse … and Montreal will help lay the foundation for regional air mobility (RAM) operations for those underutilized airports, assisting with cargo deliveries and strengthening United States supply chains. NUAIR will build on the foundation of its 50-mile UAS corridor, and UAS traffic management (UTM) systems and our work with NASA on Vertiport Automation Systems to integrate this next generation aircraft into America’s national airspace system.”

Syracuse airport officials say becoming a partner in creating the AAM corridor will “allow underserved communities a new transportation alternative” that will reconnect those communities and provide additional economic opportunities for its members.

“This undertaking, which will sustainably connect communities in Upstate New York and beyond, firmly aligns with the SRAA’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the electrification of transportation-related technology at SYR. SYR is one of the first airports in the U.S. to include UAS/AAM infrastructure planning as part of its master plan,” Jason Terreri, executive director of SRAA, said.

The project stakeholders intend to work with Transport Canada, NAV CANADA, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement an international framework to test the technology and align regulations and air-traffic procedures and management.

Clearly Connected opens second Whitesboro location

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WHITESBORO, N.Y. — Clearly Connected, LLC owner Candice Sturtevant expanded her wellness business with a second location to house her dance-fitness classes, as well as other offerings. Clearly Connected Wellness in Motion opened Nov. 10 at 337 Oriskany Boulevard, just a few doors away from Clearly Connected Life Coaching & Wellness Center at 327 Oriskany

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WHITESBORO, N.Y. — Clearly Connected, LLC owner Candice Sturtevant expanded her wellness business with a second location to house her dance-fitness classes, as well as other offerings.

Clearly Connected Wellness in Motion opened Nov. 10 at 337 Oriskany Boulevard, just a few doors away from Clearly Connected Life Coaching & Wellness Center at 327 Oriskany Boulevard. Along with housing her VXN Dance-Fitness classes, Sturtevant also rents the studio to other carefully selected providers that offer a unique blend of classes and services that mesh well with Clearly Connected.

That not only provides additional offerings to Clearly Connected clients, but also is Sturtevant’s way of helping other entrepreneurs. “They’re able to grow their own business underneath my wellness center brand,” she says.

Currently, Lead with Rhythm, owned by certified drum-circle facilitator John Bertrand, uses the space, and Sturtevant has plans bring in Zumba and yoga services. “It will never be your typical fitness center or gym,” she says of the space.

Clearly Connected Wellness in Motion will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on Dec. 15 with the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce.

The 900-square-foot studio is well suited to host classes. Once home to a liquor store, “the entire place was gutted and remodeled,” Sturtevant said. She leases the space, as well as her other location, from Scot Hayes, who operates New York Sash in the same plaza, and worked with the landlord to design the space.

At her wellness center, Sturtevant offers life coaching, therapy, massage, reiki, and nutritional-support services. She’s worked hard to craft a calming atmosphere at the center that was making it challenging to host her high-energy dance classes there.

Although the services are all related, she says, they’re two different vibes, which is what prompted her to pull the movement side of her business out into its own location.

Sturtevant has used her own experiences and wellness journey to craft a space that offers people the services they need. Her life-coaching business is full time, and she also leads classes two nights a week, manages both buildings, maintains her own website, and does all her own content creation.

Sturtevant, owner and CEO of Clearly Connected, LLC, Clearly Connected Life Coaching & Wellness Center, and Clearly Connected Wellness in Motion, is a graduate of the Legacy Training Institute and is a certified integrative holistic life coach and healer.

She launched Clearly Connected, LLC in 2017 and established her private life-coaching practice in 2018 on Main Street in Whitesboro. She moved to her current location in 2019, expanding to include the wellness center. In 2020, Sturtevant was certified as a VXN Dance-Fitness instructor.

New SUNY Chancellor King to start new role in January

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ALBANY, N.Y. — In his career, John King, Jr. has served as New York education commissioner, U.S. secretary of education, and he now has another high-profile title on his résumé. The SUNY board of trustees on Dec. 5 announced the appointment of King as the 15th chancellor of the SUNY system. He’ll begin his new

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ALBANY, N.Y. — In his career, John King, Jr. has served as New York education commissioner, U.S. secretary of education, and he now has another high-profile title on his résumé.

The SUNY board of trustees on Dec. 5 announced the appointment of King as the 15th chancellor of the SUNY system. He’ll begin his new duties in January.

Described by SUNY as a “lifelong educator,” King assumes the duties that interim chancellor Deborah Stanley has conducted since her appointment as interim chancellor early in 2022 following the resignation of former chancellor Jim Malatras.

Stanley’s appointment followed her retirement as president of SUNY Oswego.

Joanie Mahoney, president of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), was among those extending greetings to the new SUNY chancellor.

“The ESF community is excited and honored to welcome such a distinguished leader as John B. King, Jr. to SUNY. His commitment to excellence and equity within education will continue to elevate SUNY’s mission to ensure everyone has access to education that is high-quality and affordable. We look forward to working with him,” Mahoney said.

King’s background

From 2011 to the beginning of 2015, when he joined the administration of President Barack Obama, Chancellor King served as New York State’s first African American and first Puerto Rican education commissioner between 2011 and the beginning of 2015. At that point, King then joined the Obama administration as delegated deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. Obama nominated King as secretary of education a few months later.

King currently serves as president of the Education Trust, a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit organization that promotes high academic achievement for all students in early childhood, K-12 education, and higher education.

King brings to the role “decades of experience” as a leader in education administration and policy at the local, state, and national levels. He has focused on expanding access to “high-quality, affordable education in recognition of the transformative power it holds for students from all walks of life,” SUNY said.

“As we work to continue to transform SUNY to meet the needs of the next generation of students and New York’s economy, we need a leader who understands how to balance striving for both excellence and equity. John King has a proven record of doing both,” Merryl Tisch, chair of the SUNY board of trustees, said.

SUNY is the largest system of public higher education in the U.S.

NBT’s Salisbury acquisition paves the way for growth

Banks & Credit Unions, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Insurance & Financial Services, Regional News, Subscriber Only

NORWICH, N.Y. — The planned acquisition of Salisbury Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAL) will help NBT Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:) bridge the geographical gap between its existing branches and set it up for future growth along the state’s “chip corridor” from Syracuse to Poughkeepsie. The banking companies announced the $204 million, all-equity deal on Dec. 5, with

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The banking companies announced the $204 million, all-equity deal on Dec. 5, with plans for the transaction to close in the second quarter of 2023.

The acquisition will add 14 branches to NBT’s current roster of 140 NBT Bank, N.A. offices across New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut. Salisbury Bank and Trust Company branches are located in northwestern Connecticut, southwestern Massachusetts, and the Hudson Valley region of New York.

That geography is just one reason the bank acquisition is an attractive one, NBT president and CEO John H. Watt, Jr. says in an interview. The addition of Salisbury’s branches, which will convert to NBT Bank branches, is a contiguous expansion of NBT’s existing footprint, he says, and sets the stage for further expansion.

“We feel good about how we can together accelerate that growth,” Watt says of the Salisbury acquisition.

Between Micron Technology’s planned chip fab in the Syracuse area, expected to generate nearly 50,000 direct and indirect jobs, to IBM’s recent announcement it would invest $20 billion in the Poughkeepsie region, the corridor is poised for growth that NBT can capitalize on, Watt says.

“I could see us determining we need more branch banking sites,” Watt says, adding, “We’ll see.”

First, the banking companies must navigate the merger of the two institutions. For Salisbury Bancorp, the deal merges it into a larger bank, bringing numerous advantages, President and CEO Richard J. Cantele, Jr. says. “On the lending side, we’ve been running up against lending limits due to our size,” he explains. Salisbury currently has assets of $1.51 billion, deposits of $1.33 billion, and net loans of $1.8 billion as of Sept. 30.

With those lending limits, Salisbury can’t keep up with customers as they grow and need larger loans. That led the banking company to seek a larger partner due to those challenges of scale.

Overall, the corporate culture as well as the product sets of the two banks are consistent, Cantele says. NBT has somewhat more robust products and services and is further along on the development of digital platforms, he says. Both will benefit Salisbury customers.

“I think we’ll be able to provide more and better service to our customers in a more efficient manner,” Cantele contends.

Salisbury Bancorp will add about $1 billion in assets under management to NBT’s wealth-management business.

NBT plans to retain Salisbury’s 180 employees, which means “our customers will continue to work with the people they’ve come to know and trust,” Cantele adds.

Watt says NBT will benefit from the utilization of a regional operations center in Lakeville, Connecticut, where Salisbury Bancorp is headquartered, especially since NBT has struggled to fill some open positions. After learning during the pandemic that the banking company can work both regionally and, when needed, remotely, the operations center is a great asset, he adds.

Norwich–based NBT Bancorp is a financial holding company that operates NBT Bank, as well as Rochester–based EPIC Retirement Plan Services, a benefits-administration firm, and NBT Insurance Agency, a full-service insurance agency.

Salisbury Bancorp is the holding company for Salisbury Bank and Trust Co., which is chartered as a state bank and trust company by the state of Connecticut.

Hartwick College receives $500K grant to promote STEM capacity

Health Care, Regional News, Subscriber Only, Technology

ONEONTA, N.Y. — The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Inclusive Excellence 3 initiative has awarded a $500,000 grant to Hartwick College. The college said it will use the grant to increase its capacity for providing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) opportunities that promote success for all students, especially those in historically excluded groups. Hartwick

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ONEONTA, N.Y. — The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Inclusive Excellence 3 initiative has awarded a $500,000 grant to Hartwick College.

The college said it will use the grant to increase its capacity for providing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) opportunities that promote success for all students, especially those in historically excluded groups. Hartwick noted it will allocate the funding to strengthen student belonging by amplifying student voices and building support for instructors to shift to practices and policies that create equitable learning environments for all students.

Specific initiatives include empowering student-led STEM clubs to promote inclusivity, creating a student advisory panel to provide input and collaborate on the creation of class and laboratory activities and assignments, building a program to develop STEM peer mentors for students in introductory STEM courses, professional development for faculty to modify introductory science curricula and modes of instruction, and development of new courses on inclusivity in science. The initiatives will inform the college’s planning to create the infrastructure necessary to provide continuous support and assessment of inclusive instruction and student engagement.

Seven learning community clusters (LCC) were selected for the grant, with about 15 institutions in each cluster. Hartwick belongs to LCC3, which aims to shift institutions from deficit- to achievement-oriented thinking and practices through continuing education, inclusive curricula, student empowerment, inclusive collaboration, and broader approaches to institutional transformation. LCC3 will use $600,000 from HHMI to build inclusive collaboration among institutional teams, which will provide the Hartwick team critical support for their work.

Hartwick’s Inclusive Excellence 3 team includes faculty from the biology, chemistry, math, and physics departments as well as representatives from the offices of college advancement and academic affairs.

HHMI promotes leadership in science education through its institutional grants program, awarded through peer-reviewed competitions that highlight issues in science education, support science faculty in addressing these problems, and encourage institutions to become leaders in science-education excellence.

Hartwick College offers 35 bachelor’s degrees, two master’s degrees in the sciences, and a graduate certificate in nursing education.

Ithaca company creates, pilot tests cold-emitting film

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, Regional News, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

ITHACA, N.Y. — Imagine being able to walk into a hardware store and purchase a film that, when applied to a window on a hot summer day, not only blocks the sun’s heat but actually emits cold. Heat Inverse, LLC of Ithaca could make that a reality with its thin-film technology that gets cold without

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ITHACA, N.Y. — Imagine being able to walk into a hardware store and purchase a film that, when applied to a window on a hot summer day, not only blocks the sun’s heat but actually emits cold.

Heat Inverse, LLC of Ithaca could make that a reality with its thin-film technology that gets cold without any additional energy. Founded in 2018 by CEO Romy Fain, the business began pilot testing its product earlier this year.

The product is applied like a sticker, Fain says, and “wherever you put it, it’s going to cool that service.”

It has promising implications for a number of sectors including refrigerated trucking and the power grid, Fain says. For refrigerated trucks, the film applied to the roof provides additional cooling, but it goes beyond that, she says. The film can also be applied to the cooling equipment, which generates waste heat as it runs, and keep that system cooler and operating more efficiently.

In the power system, the film has a number of potential uses, Fain says. It can be applied to actual components that experience a lot of heat degradation during use, and it can also be used on energy storage facilities to cool them. Studies have shown reducing temperatures by 10 degrees on power systems can double their lifespan, she notes.

The films are hyper-emitters selectively emit where the atmosphere is transparent. The film uses the temperature differential between the surface of the planet (heat) and outer space (cold) and, following the second law of thermodynamics where heat travels from hot to cold, the material gets and emits cold.

Heat Inverse calls it the reverse-greenhouse effect and the result involves heat being whisked away instead of being trapped in the atmosphere. It’s all about battling climate change in a way that’s durable and scalable, Fain contends. “What we really need are solutions we can implement quickly,” she notes.

The pilots that Heat Inverse began earlier this year are going well, Fain says. The company has one pilot program with a peaker plant in California. A peaker plant is a power plant that typically only operates during high, or peak, demand for energy. Plant officials went into the pilot a little jaded, Fain says, but ended up impressed by the product.

“We’re seeing these companies we’re pilot testing with are now ready to implement,” Fain adds. She anticipates the firm could start generating sales as soon as next summer.

“We’ve got hundreds of potential customers in the pipeline,” she says. Currently, the company has about 90,000 square feet of film that should be ready for sale by then, minus about 5 percent needed for additional pilot programs.

“We think this is going to be something people can buy at the hardware store and put it wherever they need to cool,” Fain says.

Supply-chain issues, which delayed the beginning of pilot testing, continue to be an issue, Fain says, so the company is working to shore up its supply chain, as well as bring some production in house.

With that in mind, Heat Inverse is looking for both space and manufacturing equipment, she says, and working with contractors that can do large-scale manufacturing. The company currently operates from the Rev: Ithaca Startup Works business incubator shared workspace.

Heat Inverse currently has eight employees, uses several consultants, and is actively interviewing for multiple positions at the moment.

The company has received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps), including funding for customer discovery and $1 million in technology support.

Syracuse University, Northeast Clean Energy Council team up

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Health Care, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Syracuse University and the Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC) have formed a collaborative partnership that seeks to raise the “visibility and impact of emerging research” on clean-climate technologies. Their agreement, which Syracuse announced Nov. 7, will also work to “increase engagement” in the region for governments and businesses looking to meet their net-zero

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Their agreement, which Syracuse announced Nov. 7, will also work to “increase engagement” in the region for governments and businesses looking to meet their net-zero carbon transitions through clean-energy policies and innovations, and create career-building experiential opportunities for students.

Based in Somerville, Massachusetts, NECEC represents more than 300 member companies involved in climate technology throughout New York State and New England.

The joint Syracuse University-NECEC initiative offers a “unique opportunity” to leverage the engagement expertise of NECEC in policy and innovation for clean energy and climate with the “research strengths” of the university, an R-1 (top-tier) international research institution, Syracuse University said.

As part of the agreement, Syracuse University will host an operating office for NECEC at the Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE) at 727 E. Washington St. in Syracuse.

Student researchers from the Dynamic Sustainability Lab will staff the facility. Dynamic Sustainability Lab is a research unit in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, which is set to open in the spring semester, per the Syracuse University announcement.

“Through partnerships with strategic leaders such as NECEC, we aim to harness the research and creative activities of our faculty and students for the benefit of our community, our nation and our planet as we face pressing climate and sustainability challenges,” Duncan Brown, Syracuse’s VP for research, said. “Our partnership with NECEC will provide unique opportunities for Syracuse University students from many different academic programs to work together with climate and energy experts and innovators on real-world and impactful projects that will better prepare them for successful careers after graduation.”

Besides his role as VP for research, Brown is also the Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics, the school noted.

NECEC President Joe Curtatone said the “stage has been set” for students to enter new climate-conscious professions, due to $369 billion in federal investment from the Inflation Reduction Act and important action by New York State “and beyond on converting to a clean-energy grid.”

“Decarbonization is a whole-of-society effort that must reach every home on every street in every neighborhood before we can deem it a success,” Curtatone said. “That’s going to mean generations of new jobs as we break our fossil-fuel dependency and embrace localized-energy production, clean-energy consumption and sustainable industrial practices. It is essential to have top-flight institutions like Syracuse not just preparing students to succeed in the climate economy, but in leading efforts for a rapid and opportunity-laden transition to a decarbonized world.”

Jay Golden, director of the Dynamic Sustainability Lab in the Maxwell School, developed the idea for the partnership with Curtatone. Golden calls the alliance an “exciting development at an opportune time.”

The Dynamic Sustainability Lab recently was awarded part of a multi-institutional $60 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to advance climate-smart commodities and products.

“Our partnership with NECEC will help accelerate our progress in developing practical solutions and speed the growth of a new generation of innovators, entrepreneurs and green-tech businesses in New York state. And through this partnership, these innovations now will benefit not only the people of New York, but also those living throughout the Northeast,” said Golden, who is also a professor of environmental sustainability and finance.

Ithaca College’s stadium project offers environmental benefits

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Health Care, New York News, Regional News, Subscriber Only

ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca College expects an upcoming project to add artificial turf and lighting to Butterfield Stadium will result in “positive environmental and economic benefits.” The college announced on Nov. 29 that it will use a $3 million donation to fund the turf and lighting installation. Monica Bertino Wooden, a 1981 graduate of Ithaca

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ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca College expects an upcoming project to add artificial turf and lighting to Butterfield Stadium will result in “positive environmental and economic benefits.”

The college announced on Nov. 29 that it will use a $3 million donation to fund the turf and lighting installation.

Monica Bertino Wooden, a 1981 graduate of Ithaca College, provided the money. To recognize the gift, the school will name the playing surface Bertino Field at Butterfield Stadium.

Synthetic-turf fields conserve water since irrigation is not needed, and the stormwater runoff is cleaner since it will not include the fertilizers and pesticides required for natural-grass fields, Ithaca College said in its announcement.

The planned Musco LED (light-emitting diode) sports-lighting system cuts energy consumption by as much as 80 percent compared to a traditional sports-light system and “virtually eliminates glare, sky glow, and light spill.”

“We will both save on maintenance costs and create revenue-generating opportunities, with a stadium that can host a variety of large-scale outdoor events when not being used by the college community,” Tim Downs, VP for finance and administration at Ithaca College, said in a statement. “This aligns with our strategic plan goals of improving space utilization, optimizing resources, and developing community partnerships.”

Clark Companies, headquartered in Delhi in Delaware County, is managing the installation of the turf field. The firm is a specialized contractor that focuses on the design and construction of outdoor athletic facilities, including the fields at Cornell University, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Expanded use

Besides the environmental benefits, Ithaca College also sees the project as one that will “will greatly expand the uses of the premier outdoor gathering space on campus,” per its announcement.

Butterfield Stadium is currently used primarily for home football games, meaning that for most of the year, “it sits idle.” With synthetic turf and lighting, the stadium will be available “multiple times a day, seven days a week, in all seasons,” the college said.

“We are so grateful for this show of support for our student-athletes and our entire campus community,” Ithaca College President La Jerne Terry Cornish said. “I am looking forward to cheering on our teams and watching other activities take place on Bertino Field at Butterfield Stadium for many years to come.”

The project is expected to begin in the spring of 2023, with completion prior to the start of the fall semester and first home football game in the fall.

About the donor

Bertino Wooden played softball and basketball as a student-athlete, earning her bachelor’s degree in physical education. Her brother, John Bertino, who graduated from Ithaca College in 1980, played on both the 1979 football and 1980 baseball teams that won national championships, the college said.

A longtime resident of Tampa, Florida, Bertino Wooden spent the early part of her professional career with IBM. In 2000, she co-founded MercuryGate International, which focused on the field of supply-chain logistics that provides transportation-management products. She served as the firm’s CEO until selling the company in 2018.

“As an athlete and later as a youth coach, I found that one need was always constant — field time! So, I am very pleased to give back to the college that invested so much in me,” Bertino Wooden said.

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Eden Fresh Network co-founders show how crowdfunding is done

Business Mentors, Insurance & Financial Services, Small Business, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — If one were to look at the playbook for how to set up a successful crowdfunding campaign, Mark Pawliw would check all the boxes.  He and his co-founder and co-owner of Eden Fresh Network (EFN), Leah de Rosa, successfully crowdfunded the launch of EFN in May.  Community members from the duo’s networks,

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As Pawliw and de Rosa explain on the crowdfunding campaign page at Honeycomb Credit’s crowdfunding platform website: “Eden Fresh Network is a hyper local food hub — serving as a distribution center, online market, and educational initiative, in which local farmers and specialty food producers are able to expand their market and connect more directly and daily with their consumers. By building this bridge between farmers and consumers, we are strengthening and growing the local food system in Central New York, based in the greater Syracuse region.” 

Crowdfunding success doesn’t appear out of nowhere; it is grounded in years of hard work, experience, and relationships as Eden Fresh Network proved.  Prior to EFN, Pawliw worked for six years as the mover and shaker behind “Farm-to-Fork 101.”  Founded in 2015, Farm-to-Fork 101’s mission was to reconnects the farmer with the consumer to “create a sustainable, community-based food system that will promote and enhance the environmental, economic and social health of Syracuse and its surrounding areas.”  Farm-to-Fork 101 was also born from Mark’s 25 years of experience in the

corporate food and restaurant world, and his frustrations with that food system.  Co-owner de Rosa’s 30-year background in health care and her own chronic illnesses, led her to join Pawliw with a passion towards promoting and providing access to health-conscious lifestyles through the simple theory of ‘buying local and supporting local’.

Mark initially met with me at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in October 2017 — after a few years of offering monthly special events, such as Farm-to-Form dinners and cooking demonstrations, looking to expand to a brick-and-mortar location, and combine events with product sales.  Over the intervening years, as client and advisor discussed strategy, financial projections, goals, and mission, Mark continued strengthening his network ties and offering the community building dinners and outreach events such as kitchen demos at the NYS Fair Wegman’s Kitchen stage and the NOFA-NY (Northeast Organic Farmers Association of NY) Winter Conference. 

I also advised and informed Pawliw throughout the sessions about crowdfunding and the different options to consider.  When a favorable location came to the market for EFN, and the COVID pandemic waned, the years of collaboration culminated in the development of the Honeycomb crowdfunding debt-campaign success.

The money raised will be used for a number of startup costs — about 35 percent of the funds will be used for a walk-in cooler, a freezer, a delivery-vehicle down payment, and working-capital operating costs (salaries, POS system, starting inventory).  The remaining funds will purchase an IQF machine.  An IQF, or Individually Quick Frozen machine, will extend the growing season of upstate New York by freezing farm-fresh fruits and vegetables during the harvest seasons and making them available “out of season” to consumers and institutions. 

“Crowdfunding and specifically Honeycomb gave us the structure and framework to make a successful run into raising capital for our Eden Fresh Network project. Overall, crowdfunding relied on the many years of creating networks throughout Syracuse. We were grateful to have known and gained the support of so many people that truly believed in our thoughts and ideas the crowdfunding process showed us that people really do want to see us succeed,” Pawliw says.

EFN currently provides online ordering for twice-weekly delivery or pick-up of fresh vegetables and local products sourced within 65 miles of Syracuse, as well as a weekly in-person farmers market on Sundays from 12-3.  EFN also is continuing the tradition of farm-to-form community dinners. For more information on Eden Fresh Network, visit: www.edenfreshnetworkcny.com.

Business Advisor’s Tip: Debt crowdfunding through loan capital, as demonstrated in this example, is only one of four types of crowdfunding options. Other options include equity investment, pre-sales and perk rewards, and donations or gifts.  Contact your advisor to figure out which type of crowdfunding is most appropriate for your project.

Frank Cetera is an advanced certified business advisor at the SBDC, located at Onondaga Community College. Contact him at ceteraf@sunyocc.edu

DEC announces completion of Little Sandy Creek Bridge

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

BOYLSTON, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently announced the completion of the Little Sandy Creek Bridge — a 110-foot structure that extends over Little Sandy Creek in the Winona State Forest. The newly constructed bridge, located in the town of Boylston in Oswego County, is part of the new

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The newly constructed bridge, located in the town of Boylston in Oswego County, is part of the new one-mile Little Sandy Creek Trail, completed this fall in partnership with the Winona Forest Recreation Association (WFRA).

“In the region and across the state, DEC continues its commitment to connect more New York families and visitors to the great outdoors,” DEC Region 6 Director Randall Young said in a release. “By investing in strategic infrastructure projects like the Little Sandy Creek bridge and trail improvements in Winona State Forest, DEC is increasing access to year-round recreation opportunities for all outdoor enthusiasts.”

The bridge will boost recreational access in the Winona State Forest, particularly its attractiveness for competitive races that draw participants from across the country.

“The Little Sandy Creek bridge construction is one critical component to the larger ‘event loop expansion’ project, which will provide recreational users, as well as event participants, one of the longest course loops available, about 25K. This makes Winona events a standout in the recreational event community,” WFRA President Matt Westerlund said. “Our events are world class, and are becoming more widely known across the USA and beyond. The bridge allows for a connection to areas underutilized, and logistically impossible to reach without the bridge. It is a game changer for us.”

The new Little Sandy Creek Trail connects the existing Winona Way trail to the Bargy Road trail. The network continues on to the newly added Stinson Creek Trail, leading to the Raspberry Trail. The new trail segments were constructed by DEC Operations staff and volunteers from WFRA, the department said.

The 9,233-acre Winona State Forest is located in southern Jefferson County and northern Oswego County on the western edge of the Tug Hill Plateau. The forest includes 31.1 miles of cross-country ski trails, 8.7 miles of snowmobile trails, and 9.9 miles of forest roads.

Winona State Forest’s trails and forest-access roads provide opportunities for hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, biking, and snowmobiling. The forest also attracts hunters, birders, and those who simply enjoy being outdoors. Events include the Tug Hill Tourathon ski race, Tug Hill Challenge Sled Dog Race, snowshoe races, fat-tire bike races, and trail-running events, among others.

The Little Sandy Creek Bridge project was funded with about $56,000 from NY Works and is part of the DEC’s Adventure NY Initiative to connect New Yorkers with the outdoors.

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