Sept. 26: Balloon fest a little light but flies anyway. Argyle Cheese moooves sales. Ethics panel draw lawsuit.

A summary of regional business news.

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Country club wants zoning change for housing

The Albany Country Club wants to build 254 houses, townhouses and flats, and they are asking for the Town of Guilderland’s blessing in the form of zoning change, the Albany Business Journal is reporting. The golf course will not change, but homes would be added near the 14th hole. Greens fees and club dues are not enough to keep the course running, the story says. The proposal offers to build in sewer and water and to give open space to the town. 

After moooving in with Ideal Dairy, Argyle Cheese Farmer is expanding sales

Federal Food and Drug Administration regulations forced the owners of Argyle Cheese Farmer, the very popular mom-n-pop cheese making facility, to either sell their equipment and bow out or find another place to produce their cheeses in 2020. Ideal Dairy bought 45% of Argyle Cheese and moved the production to an 11,000-square-foot processing facility in Hudson Falls. The production capacity is about 10 times what it had been. Now: Ideal Dairy is looking to grow production and double sales, a story in the Albany Business Journal says.

Springs to host state Departments of Agriculture for the week

Saratoga Spring will play host the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture annual conference. The week-long conference begins Monday Sept. 26. New York is home to nearly seven million acres of farmland and 33,500 family farms. The state ranks first for production of cottage cheese, sour cream and yogurt and second nationally for apples, maple syrup, cabbage and snap beans, a story in the Daily Gazette says.

Lawsuit aims at state ethics panel processes

New York has updated its ethics law intended to make the ethics panel less reliant on the politicians it oversees. The new law has drawn a lawsuit, now that one person was rejected to serve on the panel, a story in the Times Union said. At issue is the confirmation process itself.

Rain and wind stall but don’t stop Balloon Fest

Balloons launched Sunday morning from Warren County Floyd Bennett Field but not in the afternoon on the final day of the Adirondack Balloon Festival. The festival was dedicated to founder Joan Grishkot who was remembered with flags and streamers on balloons and was eulogized before Saturday morning’s launch. The crowds overall were light for the 49th annual event*. (As with all annual events, that moniker sticks only with the asterisk and *except during the COVID pandemic.) Still the Post-Star sent various reporters through the weekend. Monday, Sunday, Saturday.

Here is our pix. Enjoy!