A Tree Grows in Albany
As you might have guessed, we love trees. They are not only a dominant feature of our company logo, but they also represent the very ethos of our business and how we view community and its resilience and connections though our common roots. This spring, as you wander through neighborhoods or your favorite hiking trails, take a moment and notice the trees there…the old and the new. Trees are cool!
On one of my doggie walks in our neighborhood in Glens Falls, I’ve noticed the new trees that have been planted by our city. They are still getting established and need some extra care with watering and staking to keep the wind from pushing them over. New tree plantings are an investment for future generations and always bring a smile to my face. As a science and history guy, I must admit that it’s the old trees that really get my imagination going. Especially in established neighborhoods like ours. If you allow some personification here…you know these trees have seen some things in their lives! They’ve had to put up with less-than-ideal growing conditions. Limited soil, sidewalks, road salt, heat, ice storms, spongy moth infestations…you name it, the old trees have been through it and yet they’ve persevered…some for hundreds of years.
What’s also remarkable is that we now understand that trees need each other! They need community and interact through a complex mycorrhizal network of soil fungi and other organism. Forest tree communities have a distinct advantage in this regard over their urban counterparts and yet… even the urban trees have somehow found community and a way to survive.
Continuing the tree analogy, our brewery in South Glens Falls just celebrated ten years of business back in December. In “tree years”, we would still be a young, immature specimen. Like the young tree, our business has flourished because we found a caring community connection here.
A little over a year ago we also acquired the CH Evans Brewery Company in Albany that had its “roots” dating back to 1786 in the Hudson Valley. Like those old trees, we were very excited to acquire the old building that now houses our Outpost in Albany. We think this old building is magnificent and has seen some stuff in its history and still has a story to tell.
Old buildings, like old trees, still need a connection to community to thrive. Part of our mission at the Albany Outpost is to not only honor this old building but to recreate a new community that will thrive here. The renovation of the building and our investment in Albany was a natural extension for both our business and our Foundation… one we are committed to see thrive and grow.
We know caring for trees in an urban environment can be a challenge, but we also know that with the right care and connection to community…they too can thrive.
Common Roots Brewing Company and our Foundation are committed to making those connections and thriving in the Capital Region and beyond. When you visit us at the Outpost…take a moment a say hello to the beautiful American Sycamore (Plantanus occidentalis) growing near our front entrance. The tree is about 80 years old right now and with some love and the right conditions, it should continue to grow for another 100 years or more!
Our Sycamore tree, let’s call her Francie, can be our symbol of hope and resilience in Albany as we all look to face the challenges of an uncertain future. At Common Roots we are confident that if we continue to support each other and stay connected, we can all flourish in challenging times.
Cheers to connections to old friends and the new ones we make every day.