The Peru Gazette

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By John T. Ryan

Peru – Anyone who travels the River Road on cold winter days must have noticed the small apple orchard at the corner of the River and Jarvis Rd and thought, “What’s that crazy man doing at the top of that long ladder on a day like this?” That man is Melvin “Mel” Irwin, who’s been climbing a long ladder for forty-five years and loves it. A lifelong dairy farmer, Irwin loves growing all sorts of things, whether apples, vegetables, flowers or hay. He said, “I’ve always liked growing things; I took after my mother.” Irwin has five vegetable gardens – four plots next to Irwin’s Laflure Lane Orchard and the other at his Union Road home. 

Son of Kermit and Bertha “Bert” Irwin, Mel and his brothers Jim and Bob have been farmers all their lives. In 2017 they sold their cows; today, they’re crop farmers. All the brothers tend to their forage crops; however, Mel is the one people notice working amongst the apple trees. Mel said, “We have about five hundred to six hundred trees. They’re mostly Macs along with a few Cortlands and Red Delicious.” Pruning begins in late December or early January and continues through March. Irwins planted many of the trees in the 1980’s, so they’re much taller than trees planted today. Mel said, “I’ve fallen a couple of times. I usually fall once or twice a year, but I’ve never been hurt.” In early fall, he gets his reward when the orchard yields about 2,500 to 3,000 bushels of good-tasting apples. 

After about three hours of pruning, probably interrupted by a bit of conversation with his friend Seth Forrence, Irwin breaks for lunch. After lunch, he descends into his cellar to work on another avocation – crafting wooden bowls and cutting boards. Mel commented, “I have to keep busy. I bought an old lathe and started making wooden bowls about two years ago. You can find his bowls and other items for sale at the Black Brook Store, Rulfs Orchard, and the Cactus Flower in Plattsburgh.

When spring arrives, Irwin tends the beautiful tulips and daffodils bordering the shiny white fence and other beautiful plants surrounding his home. Pollination isn’t a problem because Mel raises bees, even selling a little honey. He also raises goldfish in a large backyard pond. Ospreys and hawks sometimes dive down for an afternoon goldfish snack.

During summer, Melvin Irwin works with his brothers Jim and Bob, planting, caring for, and harvesting corn and hay. Five years ago, voters elected him to the Peru Town Board. He commented, “I got talked into running. My mother and father always encouraged us to give back to our community, so it wasn’t a difficult decision.” Serving in any public body can be challenging; however, Irwin enjoys it. He doesn’t mind if people interrupt his busy schedule to discuss town matters.  

Mel Irwin appears to be a fortunate person. He enjoys keeping busy and looks forward to the joy each day brings. 

Source: Gov. Hochul tours Nova Bus in North Country visit | Sun Community News PLATTSBURGH | Gov. Kathy Hochul made a stop in Plattsburgh April 26 to highlight regional investments in the FY 2023 budget and tour Nova Bus, the area’s internationally leading electri

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“…they expect in 2024 to actually do the cable installation at the bottom of Lake Champlain, which is going to take five months or so as they have massive barges and down the lake at about two miles per day, laying this cable under the water.”

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A news story will follow. One bit of news – Peru street sweeping is delayed because of a machine parts issue. The sweeper replacement part is on order, but not available. Sweeping will resume as soon as possible.

Plattsburgh, NY (4/26/2022) – The North Country Chamber of Commerce is proud to offer – designed to help small businesses, business owners, and their employees.

Leadership Training Series

• When: One, 2.5 hour class (9am-11:30am), once per week, from May 10^th through June 27^th (8 classes in total)
• Where: All classes are in-person at the North Country Chamber of Commerce – 7061 Route 9, Plattsburgh NY 12901
• Cost: $175 per individual – price includes hot, catered breakfast each morning and a framed certificate upon completion

The leadership training series will teach the skills necessary to be an effective leader in the workplace, and is perfect for anyone who is working toward a promotion, was recently promoted, or just started a new business.

Classes in the leadership training series include: leadership fundamentals, leading a multi-generational workforce, managing/resolving conflict, a primer on key employment laws, providing effective feedback, and more.

Digital Marketing Training Series

When: One, 2.5 hour class (9am-11:30am), once per week, from May 12^th through June 30^th (8 classes in total)

Where: All classes are in-person at the North Country Chamber of Commerce – 7061 Route 9, Plattsburgh NY 12901

Cost: $175 per individual – price includes hot, catered breakfast each morning and a framed certificate upon completion

The digital marketing training series is designed to help local businesses find and attract new customers by taking their digital marketing strategy to the next level!

This program is perfect for any business looking to learn more about how to identify their target audience and create a digital marketing strategy, improve and drive traffic to their website, better utilize social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, create ads to display on Google, social media, YouTube, and so much more!

For more information, including a full class schedule, visit northcountrychamber.com! For questions or to register, contact Joel Wood at (518) 563-1000 or joel@northcountrychamber.com

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