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Students inventory CO2 emissions in Camden
Aim is to reduce greenhouse gases
By Susan Mustapich | Oct 11, 2018
Courtesy of: Watershed School Watershed School students who developed a CO2 emissions inventory for the town of Camden include, clockwise, from front left: Kalen Darney, Mara Carpenter, Lyra Kalajian, Jack Morse, Alex Facq, Beatrice Buckley, Rachel Sizeler-Fletcher, Isabel Rodriguez, Christian Ray and Zeke Bryant.
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CAMDEN — Home heating and vehicle fuels top the list of carbon emissions producers in Camden, according to an inventory conducted by Watershed School students.
The inventory is the first phase of a project to assist the town of Camden to reduce the emissions commonly called greenhouse gases. Students completed the inventory in June, and will review and update their work during the spring 2019 semester.
Earlier this year, a group of Watershed students and Camden Hills Regional High School students succeeded in convincing the Camden Select Board to sign onto the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy. Students explained that the town of Camden's participation is voluntary, and no financial commitment was required to join. Town committees, including the Energy Committee and Conservation Commission, are also supporting the work of the Watershed students.
The students agreed to take on the first phase of the work, to research and inventory the town of Camden's carbon emissions. This inventory is the first step towards creating a local action plan to reduce the emissions many scientists agree are driving global warming.
In July, the board voted to authorize Town Manager Audra Caler-Bell to find the best source of funding to pay a $600 fee for technical assistance with the software that students are using. Technical assistance will help students to more fully assess the data they have collected, according to Watershed teacher Janet McMahon.
The Global Covenant is a pledge by cities and towns "to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, track their progress and improve local resilience to climate change." It lays out a three-year cycle, beginning with inventory and risk assessment in year one, followed by recommendations in year two and actions in year three.
Towns as small or smaller than Camden are part of the 9,000 cities and local governments from six continents and 127 countries that have joined the effort to reduce greenhouse emissions, according to the Covenant website, globalcovenantofmayors.org. The Covenant has roots in organizations created by the European Union and United Nations.
A United Nations report issued Oct. 8 predicts that devastating effects of climate change will hit harder and sooner than predicted, unless dramatic steps are taken to reduce the use of fossil fuels and lessen the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, according to the Portland Press Herald. The report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that unless global temperatures are limited to an increase of 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit over pre-industrial times, sea-level rise, melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet and water shortages will have catastrophic effects on populations around the world.
Home heating largest source of emissions in Camden
In July, Watershed student Alex Facq and McMahon presented the results of the emissions inventory to the Select Board.
Students used many sources to research carbon emissions in Camden, including information from multiple town departments, a fuel company, schools and businesses. Students chose to use data from 2016 as the baseline.
Nearly 50 percent of carbon dioxide-equivalent gases in 2016 were produced by residential energy use, according to the inventory.
Camden has 3,230 houses, with an average household size of 1.9 residents, and 226 commercial buildings. Thirty-seven percent of homes are older than 70 years, and 77 percent of homes are heated with oil. Residential oil use makes up 55 percent of built-environment emissions.
The remainder of CO2e emissions come from transportation and mobile sources, 28 percent; commercial energy, 16 percent; solid waste, 8 percent; and water and water treatment, 1 percent.
A total of 34,559,334 vehicle miles were traveled in Camden in 2016, on the 59 miles of roads and streets within town borders. The annual CO2e emissions produced that year was 13,186 metric tons. The study found that passenger vehicles comprise 92 percent of traffic volume, and heavy trucks, 8 percent. Fifty-three percent of Camden's population commutes.
The total solid waste produced in Camden in 2016 was 4,630 tons, of which 51 percent was burned and 36 percent was received by the landfill at the Mid-Coast Solid Waste transfer station in Rockport. Another 13 percent was received by landfills in locations outside of Knox County.
From 2004 to 2014, CO2e emissions in Camden peaked in 2007, at 450,000 metric tons, and have since come down 7 percent to 400,000 metric tons. The recommended 30 percent emission reduction goal by 2020 is 300,000 tons. A 50 percent reduction in emissions is called for by 2050.
Students aim to help town officials deal with climate change
Facq plans to focus his senior project at Watershed on reviewing the data collected last spring for accuracy and filling in any blanks, as well as assisting the juniors and sophomores in next spring's climate change class. He was recently appointed to the Energy Committee, after applying to the town.
Last semester, he took the lead in learning how to use ClearPath, software provided free to towns in the United States that sign onto the Covenant of Mayors, that assists in creating a "Community-Scale Inventory." Because the students did not have a budget for technical assistance, Facq taught himself how to use ClearPath. The software is used in cities and towns around the world by professional and technical staff "who lead the climate change mitigation process in their cities and communities," according to the Covenant website.
McMahon credits Facq for the many hours he poured into the work of learning the complex software. She said she hopes he will be able to help take the inventory, which she said is 75 percent complete, to the next level. He will also help students in the spring 2019 climate change class with the hazards assessment component the Covenant requires, looking at the impacts of climate change on the town, she said. In 2017, another group of Watershed students studied and reported on impacts of sea-level rise on Camden. McMahon explained that there are other are many more areas to be assessed.
This coming year, students will also explore recommendations, such those issued by the Paris Accord, and what is realistic, McMahon said. She said Watershed is the only high school group in the United States working to prepare the Global Covenant of Mayors inventory of emissions in order to assist town officials to address and prepare for climate change.
Facq has been interested in science for a long time, and more recently has become very interested in environmental science. He is also interested in politics from the perspective of how society handles the problem of global warming.
"I really wish that as a society we were doing more towards helping the environment and not damaging it more," he said. "Being the younger generation, and aware that everything we do now is going to be our problem going forward, I'd appreciate it if we would start working on it [climate change] sooner, rather than later."
"It's going to be more work if it's later. There's going to be more damage, and it's going to be harder to fix," he said. "That's why I'm passionate about this. I just want to be able to make a difference, and do it in my own town."
Cleaner Camden, Cleaner World: Taking Inventory
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Susan M Mustapich
Susan Mustapich is assistant editor of The Camden Herald. She has lived in Knox County since 1995 and worked as a reporter at both The Camden Herald and The Courier-Gazette. She has covered the towns and schools of Camden, Rockport, Lincolnville, Hope and Appleton, as well as Knox County government and the courts.
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Thailand is an exciting country for direct selling, network marketing, and MLM. With over 11 million Thais in MLM, generating over $2 Billion a year in revenue, Thailand is a perfect breeding ground for opportunity and success. Although there are thousands of MLM companies to choose from globally, we will discuss the Best MLM in Thailand.
What is MLM?
MLM, also known as "Multi-level Marketing" or network marketing, is a business model where regular people use word-of-mouth and online advertising to sell products and services, rather than the corporation spending a lot of money on advertising.
You, as an individual, can join any MLM company in the world, usually for the price of a monthly product from the company, then you are provided promotional tools to share the products and opportunity with others.
When someone orders a product through your replicated website the company gives you, you receive a commission. Other people can also sign up for the opportunity to share products as well through your link and when they sell products you will get a commission from that as well.
When you build a team or organization of people inside MLM, the organization is multi-level, meaning you have people on level 1, level 2, level 3, and so forth. MLM can be very lucrative when you have an organization of hundreds or thousands of people within your organization selling products. You usually get a little commission from everyone which can add up to big money.
What is a MLM Opportunity in Thailand
With over 11 million distributors in Thailand, many Thais participate in some form of direct marketing. A MLM opportunity in Thailand means that the company or a leader from a MLM company is looking for motivated people who want to join their MLM team who live in Thailand or surrounding countries. Many MLM companies are international and can ship products to almost every country in the world without delay. In fact, I joined a MLM that is already in 200 countries and it's only 3 years old.
What are the Benefits of doing MLM in Thailand
The benefits of doing MLM in Thailand are many. The first obvious reason is Thais already love the direct selling business model, with over 11 million out of Thailand's population of 70 million people doing one or a couple direct selling/MLM programs.
The second major benefit is you can produce life-changing income simply by recruiting and building a team under you while just ordering a personal supply of product for $100 to $200 per month. So, literally you can create a $1 million a year business simply by ordering a couple hundred dollars worth of products!
How to Start a MLM Opportunity in Thailand
The best way to join a MLM opportunity in Thailand is find a company with a product you would love using, read reviews on the product, then join someone who you feel you would like through their opportunity link.
Since there are so many Thais in network marketing already, it wouldn't take long to find a friend of a friend who is in the company you want to join. If you can't find their opportunity link online, message them and ask for their personal sign up link.
**We are looking for leaders in Thailand for Our Global Expansion into Thailand HERE. We also have the Best MLM in Malaysia and Best MLM in Taiwan.
How to Be Successful in MLM
The best way to be successful is to treat your business like a million dollar business. That means consistently working on it everyday and watching the team training and being coachable.
MLM success is based on simple systems that can duplicate. Duplication is when someone who joins your team gets plugged into the training and learns how to recruit themselves. The easier duplication is, the faster your team grows and the more products get sold.
How to Promote MLM in Thailand
Thais are no strangers to digital marketing. There's over 38 million Thais using TikTok. Tiktok and Facebook are still very powerful in recruiting reps and sharing product testimonials.
With the evolution of MLM, MLM is now easier than ever to promote 100% online. In fact, I have never met a distributor in person, and I have recruited over 2,000 in MLM in the last eight years. If anything, you can use Zoom or Whatsapp meetings to keep your team connected to one another.
Here is the simplest way to look at promoting your business: the more people you get looking at the presentation or signing up on your landing page, the more sales you will get. So, the more traffic you get, the more sales you make. It's about consistently sharing your website every single day to a lot of people. There's a billion people on TikTok and 3.5 billion people on Facebook waiting for your opportunity!
The Best MLM in Thailand Right Now
The best MLM in Thailand right now is a company that is exponentially growing each month by the millions. Example, our company has gone from $2 million in sales in 2019 to $50 million in sales in 2021. That's fast growth.
Number two – they have to have amazing products, that's a no-brainer, but they also have to have a very lucrative compensation plan.
Lastly, the company has to have a complete marketing system for distributors, meaning they give us landing pages to promote and the company emails our leads, because follow-up is crucial.
How to Join the Best MLM in Thailand
I hope you learned a lot reading this article. Again, we are excited to launch our new opportunity in Thailand. If you believe you can share this opportunity with a lot of people then please click the join link below and sign up. With MLM you want to sign up with the big pack, to ensure the highest commission rate. God bless!

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In today's tech world, everyone is either using or seriously considering computing to optimize their product designs or manufacturing processes. A number of recent blog posts have discussed the benefits of modeling and simulation. In addition, in the context of AweSim, unique modeling and simulation solutions or opportunities targeting small- to medium-sized business to operate without high infrastructure and computing costs and risk have been outlined. AweSim's approach delivers low-risk, low-cost access to remote desktop software tools and to specialized domain applications (apps).
Competition is fierce with major OEM price point pressures for the small- to medium-sized manufacturer companies. Suppliers are struggling with slim margins while trying to maintain lean and productive operations. To keep pace with their customers – large OEMs that have access to High Performance Computing (HPC) – small- to medium-sized companies need a technological advantage. To be leading members of the supply chain, a competitive edge is necessary – this is where applying modeling, simulation and data analysis would provide this advantage.
AweSim provides a significant boost or opportunity for small- to medium-sized business in this very competitive supply chain environment. However, simply gaining access to low-cost, easy-to-use software applications in a remote desk environment is not sufficient in the years ahead. Manufacturing OEMs are now looking for ways to encourage the optimization of the design of products from their suppliers and integrate supplier generated manufacturing process data in their smart manufacturing supply chain journey. As a result, the community is being driven by customer demand and desire to deliver unique design and data analytic workflow capabilities in a collective environment. This includes cultivating platforms or ecosystems that are collaboratively secure, multi-tenancy, multi-site cloud based communities of interest comprising of community inspired marketplaces of applications, libraries, APPs workflows, IP, and diverse data for a group of individuals to share task progress and production in a real-time setting. This desire will not only require new technical approaches but also new cooperative win-win business arrangements between suppliers and the OEMs.
Early pilots of these collaborative eco-systems has allowed for production optimization, improved processes, open software, and better communication and data across the manufacturing enterprise. The collaborative sharing of common application toolkits and testbeds allows firms to mutually and simultaneously develop and validate enabling platform technologies; demonstrate reduced energy and excess, accelerate time-to-market, become more efficient and cost-competitive through collaborative digital means.
Nimbis Services has developed and piloted collaborative community under funding from the DoD and DOE for DoD microelectronics and Smart Manufacturing supply chain communities. These communities can now share for the first time in the design, development and production-to-consumer through use of applications, toolkits and testbeds with a higher degree of success.
On June 20, 2016, President Barack Obama announced a $70M million federal award to the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition (SMLC), an industry-led national non-profit, to create a nationwide Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute. The Institute will fuel industry growth and innovation nationwide with more than $140 million in public-private investment geared toward developing advanced manufacturing technology and a supporting workforce and education pipeline.
Nimbis Services will leverage their technology in providing the basis for an open-source digital platform to integrate advanced sensors, control, platforms and modeling technologies into commercial smart manufacturing systems. This collaboration platform will also provide the manufacturing communities with easy and affordable access to real-time analytic tools, test infrastructure, and industrial applications.
The announcement was made at the Select USA Summit in Washington, D.C.
The Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) will be an industry-led non-profit organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California with networked regional centers across California, Washington, New York, North Carolina and Texas. The national network will work across business, workforce and technical focus areas, leveraging each region's unique industrial environments. It will be the ninth institute awarded under the National Network of Manufacturing Institutes initiative. The SMLC brings together a strong collaboration of nearly 200 partners from academia, industry and non-profits across over 30 states. The Institute will accelerate the development and adoption of advanced sensors, data analytics, and controls in manufacturing, while reducing the cost of these technologies by half and radically improving the efficiency of U.S. advanced manufacturing. The Institute will enable small, medium and large manufacturers, new and unprecedented access to smart tools, innovation and the ability to grow their business. For more information, please access the White House Fact Sheet.


Ericsson's relationship with China dated back to the 1890s, when the first batch of Ericsson handsets was shipped to Shanghai. Since then, China has gradually developed into one of Ericsson's primary markets. The Chinese market presented huge opportunities in terms of volume and size. The telecom and IT industry in China was growing at the fastest rate in the world and Ericsson was determined to have a share of the pie. The company set up its first office in Beijing in 1985 and in 1994 Ericsson (China) Co. was established. Ericsson adopted a well laid out localization strategy to optimally exploit the Chinese market. Between the late 1990s to the early 2000s, Ericsson shifted the procurement and supply side of its wide range of business to China.
It also brought in its traditional partners. This offered huge employment opportunities for local Chinese and also contributed to the country's economic growth. Besides, huge investment in R&D by Ericsson and commitment to develop the country's 3G technology contributed to China's telecom and IT growth. However, in the early 2000s, the market for Ericsson products in China lost out to stiff local competition. Analysts observed that Ericsson needed to rethink its strategy on pricing and quality of its products.


[BlindGossip] This very successful television host has a boyfriend. Before the host became very successful, they were both just getting by financially, and decided to give themselves a hand up by engaging in some shady dealings a few years back. The host orchestrated a scheme where the boyfriend would befriend and hopefully "marry" an aging female star. Both of the men are charming and quite manipulative, so it isn't surprising that they managed to find an appropriate target and zeroed in on her. Sure enough, when she passed away, she left most of her estate to her gay husband. The money provided financial security to the host and the boyfriend, and they are still a couple to this day.


Takachiho is located in a mountainous area in central Kyushu. According to the Japanese mythology, Takachiho is said to be the place where the gods descended from the heaven.
There, you can still find many things and places that are related to the ancient stories.
One of the mythical ruins is Amano-Yasukawara. The cave is said to be a place where the gods gathered to discuss what to do when a sun goddess hid herself, plunging the world into darkness.
However, the highlight of this trip is a traditional dance called "Kagura" which is passed down From one generation to another for almost a thousand years. The dances which include stories from the old myths are performed all through the night to thank the gods for a good harvest.
On this edition of Journeys in Japan, Peter MacMillan travels to Takachiho and discovers how Japanese people have lived with gods from the ancient time.
It is a cave where the gods are said to have gathered.
It is located right by Amano-Iwato shrine.
It is a spring whose water is said to have been brought by the gods.
It is located in the middle of a residential area in Mitai District.
The oldest shrine in Takachiho has deep ties to Japanese mythology.
It shrines one of the gods that have descended to Takachiho.
It is a scenic spot where you can appreciate the natural beauty of Takachiho.
The gorgeous Manai Falls is seen from the water by renting a row boat.
The all-night Kagura is performed from November to February in about twenty communities in Takachiho.
It is a tiny community of about 50 households situated on the mountains about 40mins drive from the central Takachiho.
People worship different gods of nature in this village.


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California Indian Casino Project Near Napa Causes Turf War
Posted on: September 17, 2016, 10:00h.
Last updated on: September 16, 2016, 05:19h.
Napa County has longed worried about a Native American tribe receiving land and building a California Indian casino near or on winemaking farmland. That's why local leaders might support a new proposal to build a casino 30 miles south of the region's main vineyards. (Image: vinepair.com)
The California Indian casino project in Vallejo proposed by the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is generating a turf war between neighboring counties that differ on whether casino-style gambling should be permitted in the wine-rich area.
Napa County supervisors are currently deliberating if they're going to support or oppose the measure. The casino would be located near the intersection of Interstate 80 and Highway 37 in Solano County, about 15 miles south of Napa's downtown.
Napa County has long held the position of opposing casinos near farmland and winery operations. Supporting the measure to build a casino south of the town and nearly 30 miles from Napa Valley could help solidify those wishes, as Indian casinos typically come with a regional monopoly.
Solano County has expressed its concerns over the wishes of the Pomo Indians. The third county in the area, American Canyon, has also sent a letter to the US government suggesting a casino would negatively impact the area.
"I want to be fully supportive of our colleagues in Solano and Vallejo and American Canyon," Napa Supervisor Diane Dillon told the Napa Valley Register. "But I don't want to invite the project to move to Napa."
In the end the decision isn't up to Napa or American Canyon, or even Solano. The final verdict rests with the US Department of Interior (DOI).
Scotts Valley requested the targeted Vallejo land be transferred to their ownership in a letter to the DOI dated August 11.
Wine Country Is Whining
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is headquartered in Lakeport, California, a small town 75 miles north of Napa. The tribe doesn't currently have a reservation or any federally recognized land.
In the 1950s, the US government disbanded the Scotts Valley Pomo settlement. But in 1991, the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo v. The United States went in the tribe's favor and the Pomo band was restored.
In 2008, the United States determined that the Native American group qualified to be labeled a "restored tribe" and is therefore eligible to receive land grants under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Since a federally recognized tribe is petitioning the federal government, local governments can do little other than voice their concerns. The proposed casino site is currently vacant hilly terrain.
"There is a concern that the density of water use for the proposed casino resort would strain the already limited water resources available in Solano and Napa counties, particularly given the persistent and ongoing drought conditions faced by the state of California," American Canyon Mayor Leon Garcia wrote.
Odds Against Tribe
Locals and visitors to the Napa area are currently limited to gaming at the Napa Valley Casino. The card room offers poker and various card tables.
That would of course change if Scotts Valley is granted land in Vallejo. Unfortunately for the tribe and those looking for closer casino-style gambling, the odds don't seem to be in their favor.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs recently ruled against the Scotts Valley Band in another proposal. The federal agency said the tribe didn't have a "significant historical connection to the proposed gaming site in Contra Costa County."
Federal law says a tribe must show a potential land trust parcel was previously part of its sovereign reservation, or submit historical documentation that shows the tribe has held occupancy or engaged in subsistence use in the vicinity.
Sydney Approves Packer Plan for Crown Ltd. Casino Expansion
Vintners Oppose Napa Valley Casino
Trial Begins for Operators of Makeshift New York Indian Casino
US Gambling Age Guide
US Casino Finder
David Sheldon — July 6, 2013
Kevin Horridge — May 22, 2014
Samantha Beckett — November 7, 2013


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Published on Valley Table (https://www.valleytable.com)
Home > Hudson Valley Vodka
Hudson Valley Vodka
By Timothy Buzinski / Photos by Eva Deitch
Snake in the Coconut Grove [1]
The Mill at Tuthill House
Drink Me [2]
Hudson Valley Bramble [3]
Douglass Miller, Professor of Table Service ad Management, The Culinary Institute of America
Rite of Spring [4]
Clark Moore, Mixologist
Not Grandma's Lemonade [5]
Michael Polasek, Bluestone Bistro
IN THE UNITED STATES, BY LEGAL DEFINITION vodka is "without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color," and domestic distillations of vodka are required to reach a minimum of 190 proof (95 percent alcohol). On the surface, at least, this would seem to contradict people who are committed to one brand of vodka because they prefer its "taste"—indeed, anyone who has sampled more than one vodka can attest to the fact that not all vodkas are created equal. And why, then, are so many different base ingredients used—grain, potatoes, sugar beets or even honey and apples—and why do distillers tout the number of distillations or the source of the water?
Vodka, in fact, can be made using almost any main ingredient—if it can be fermented, it can be used to make vodka. The central issue is accessing the sugars in starch-based ingredients. The process requires multiple steps, but the basic procedure includes blending the base ingredient (typically cracked or ground grain) with enzymes (usually in the form of a malted grain), then heating the combination in water. Pausing or holding the process at certain points allows the enzymes to break down starches into sugars. When complete, the resulting solution is known as the mash. The sugars in the mash are converted to alcohol through fermentation—the same process used by brewers or vintners.
Once fermentation is completed, the fermented mash is distilled, typically multiple times. The first distillation frequently is referred to as a stripping distillation—much of the solids and volatile components are removed (stripped), which saves time and (some claim) creates a cleaner final spirit. The spirit is further distilled for purification. Once the distiller determines the process is completed to his or her satisfaction, the final distillate is diluted with water and filtered to create a clean, drink-worthy product. The filtration method varies by distillery, as well. Harvest Spirits employs a half-micron filtration system for its apple vodka, in contrast to the carbon filter system (much like some commercial water filters) used by many other distilleries.
Perhaps the most important difference among various vodkas comes from differences in the raw materials used. Denning's Point Distillery, founded in 2014 just steps off Beacon's metro-hip Main Street, for instance, uses red winter wheat sourced from a farm in the Finger Lakes to create its Viskill Vodka. Head Distiller Kyran Tompkins utilizes carbon filtration. "Carbon filtration is where we feel we distinguish ourselves," Tompkins notes. "We believe wheat makes a softer, more traditional vodka." He adds that some people perceive a slight sweetness in the finished spirit.
One might logically expect that if "sweetness" could be applied to a vodka, it would be evident in an apple-based product; however, apples do not impart their tangy, sugary character to vodka when used as the base ingredient—fermentation and distillation remove the sugars from the distillate. Using apples as the main ingredient simply means that converting starches to sugars using the mashing process is not necessary. (An "apple vodka" trend swept the nation roughly a decade ago, but those were flavored—and sometimes sweetened—spirits that have nothing in common with vodka produced using apples as the base ingredient.)
At Harvest Spirits, in the serene, apple-growing town of Valatie, Derek Grout is convinced that the aromatics of a vodka are greatly affected by the base ingredient. He is seeking to make a distinctive vodka using apples grown on the Grout family orchards in Columbia County. "I want to be able to distinguish my vodka from another apple-based vodka [in a blind tasting]," he says. "Otherwise, I'm just selling a commodity. How fresh the apples were, how happy the yeast was—all this affects the finished product." To this end, Grout devotes significant attention to his "head" and "tail" cuts.
Each distillation is broken into three parts: the head, the heart and the tail cuts. The first and the last cuts contain elements that are unpleasant and harmful—these portions are usually collected and redistilled in future batches so nothing is wasted. Grout is especially careful making the head cut.
Like most distillers, Grout makes all his cuts based on sensory evaluation: First, he mixes some distillate with water and smells the solution; if he perceives hints of vinyl, nail polish remover or model glue, he allows the fermentation to continue. If he does not detect these odors, he'll taste it; if it passes, he'll swallow a small amount, testing for any volatility on the finish. "The taste is what's important—that's what people are looking for," he says. "It has to be flawless." When distilling, Grout always keeps a sample of a previous batch on hand for comparison so he creates a consistent product.
Of course, with the deep culture and history of farming in the Hudson Valley region, it's not surprising that some local distillers are using local potatoes for their vodka. In Middleburgh (Schoharie County), Barber's Farm Distillery uses homegrown potatoes to give a distinctive spin on potato vodka. Founded in 2015, the first vodka came off the still last fall. Head Distiller Elias Barber confirms what Eastern European distillers of the 1800s quickly learned: Working with potatoes is labor intensive. "Week-to-week, preparing the potatoes is the biggest job," he says. "This is why not many people [distill with potatoes]." Barber estimates that he and Assistant Distiller Emily Driscoll spend about half their efforts on preparing the potatoes—after grinding the potatoes into a mashed pulp, they load it into a kettle and cook it to convert the starch.
When he begins fermentation, Barber is careful to preserve the "nature" of the potatoes. His approach to the stripping run is more about reducing volume rather than eliminating or excluding potential flavor components. Using a column still, Barber, much like Tompkins and Grout, is extremely selective in making his head and tail cuts. "The smaller craft distillers have the ability to make perfect cuts—that's what separates them from the large distilleries," he opines.
Unlike most distilleries—including Denning's Point and Harvest Spirits— that use water purified through a reverse osmosis treatment, Barber uses water sourced from a fresh spring just behind the distillery. The water, of course, is filtered (Barber uses a carbon system), but he says he employs a light touch. "Our water has flavor," he asserts, and he doesn't want to lose its character in the vodka.
All these subtle variations in distilling technique and ingredients undoubtedly affect the aromas and flavors in the finished vodkas. Though vodka seems to a rather basic spirit, local distillers are working with a variety of mainly locally grown ingredients—including wheat, apples, potatoes, corn and even beets—and their skill and artistry in determining the cuts, the choice of water, dilution percentage and filtration methods all influence the character and quality of the final product.
These seemingly minor differences, in fact, make for a vibrant local market, and craft vodka is thriving here in the Hudson Valley. As Kyran Tompkins puts it, "There are plenty of styles made here that meet or exceed the quality of the big brands. There is no reason to drink vodkas produced outside of New York."
Issue 74, 2016 [6]
Hudson Valley Whiskey [7]
Hudson Valley Whiskey: Tasting Notes [8]
By Tim Buzinski
Hudson Valley Vodka: Tasting Notes [9]
Source URL: https://www.valleytable.com/vt-article/hudson-valley-vodka
[1] https://www.valleytable.com/recipe/snake-coconut-grove
[2] https://www.valleytable.com/recipe/drink-me
[3] https://www.valleytable.com/recipe/hudson-valley-bramble
[4] https://www.valleytable.com/recipe/rite-spring
[5] https://www.valleytable.com/recipe/not-grandmas-lemonade
[6] https://www.valleytable.com/vt-issues/issue-74-2016
[7] https://www.valleytable.com/vt-article/hudson-valley-whiskey
[8] https://www.valleytable.com/vt-article/hudson-valley-whiskey-tasting-notes
[9] https://www.valleytable.com/vt-article/hudson-valley-vodka-tasting-notes