McLendon reviewed work that was completed last year on the ag center building and said the auditorium was recently used for a play for the first time 17 years.
Renovations last year included:
• A gazebo for an outdoor kitchen and grill donated by Costco
• The construction of an outdoor storage shed
• 11 offices finished and rented
• Work almost completed on phase I of the auditorium renovations
• Front doors sanded and repainted
• Distribution center through phase I renovations
• Set up of a donated storage building
• Grounds clean-up
• Planting done for orchard, berry garden, medicinal and culinary herb and vegetable gardens
• Composting area set up
• Greenhouse constructed with donated materials
• Outdoor garage for blacksmith repaired and rented
• Auditorium roof repaired through a grant
Soil and water district’s Lynn Sprague said more than 800 volunteers have worked on something in the building and there have been more than 2,000 visitors in Polk County.
The building was built in 1928 and operated as a school until 1994. McLendon said when the soil and water district had the opportunity to take over the building a couple of years ago, the paint had started to chip and kudzu was growing on the second floor.
“The building has seen college students who chose service over vacation, dedicated community members who choose to spend their few dollars at our farm store, AmeriCorps members serving their country instead of their bottom line and hundreds of people who have chosen to spend their time and effort to make something in their community a little bit better,” said McLendon. “Mill Spring Agricultural Center is more than what anyone could have imagined and it will be more each day we choose to keep moving forward.”
The ag center has been home to many meetings, conferences and events, including the annual Farm to Fork Supper, the harvest festival, equestrian conferences, fiber group meetings, civic group meetings, indoor farmers markets, music practices and recitals, educational programs, a mushroom workshop, a composting workshop, a sustainable agriculture workshop, Mountain BizWorks classes, class reunions, business meetings, family events, a wedding, boy scout meetings and classes about sustainable agriculture and beer making.
Ongoing plans for the ag center include creating a distribution center for local farmers to reach larger markets in Charlotte, Greenville, Asheville and farther, creating a commercial kitchen and creating an educational center for agricultural demonstrations, greenhouses and gardens.
The ag center is also still fundraising for auditorium renovations by selling seats.
The PolkFresh TradePost is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.