POTSDAM -- The Clarkson Shipley Center and its Hot Spot initiative hosted a chicken barbecue at the 1844 House on Sunday afternoon.

Renee Smith, owner of North Country Pastured, processed the chickens.

The business received wide praise in 2012 when it was promised of more than $200,000 in public funding, but failed to get off the ground following a series of problems, that began with the poorly manufactured mobile unit and spiraled downward from there.

In 2014 Clarkson stepped in to help the business get back on its feet. Sunday’s chicken barbecue served as a test run for the business model Clarkson helped establish.

The development of more local food production and processing is a fundamental component of the North Country economic development strategy.

This includes more locally raised and processed livestock as well as year round greenhouse food production.

It is envisioned that the region can make more fresh and minimally processed food for its own consumption as well as sell significant quantities of fresh and specialty foods into North East metropolitan markets.

For more on North Country Pastured see earlier story.