This past Monday, the AmeriCorps Project Conserve team of about 30 members came down to visit Polk County farms and the Mill Spring Ag Center and learn more about local food and sustainable farming in Western North Carolina. Mill Spring Ag Center AmeriCorps member Laura Brookshire led the group to Emerald Springs Farm owned by Bill and Lee Barker, Restoration Farm owned by Dawn Jordan and Leap Farm owned by Lee Mink. The group ended the day by inoculating shiitake mushroom logs with the help of Vaughn Loeffler and touring the Mill Spring Ag Center.

AmeriCorps is a national service program that places members at local and national non-profits and government offices such as schools and county offices. Members provide valuable service to communities and in turn gain skills and experience needed to pursue careers. This week is AmeriCorps Week, which celebrates the program, the members and the service provided to thousands of communities nationwide.

Project Conserve is an AmeriCorps program unique to western North Carolina, and members are placed at host sites that focus on land conservation, water quality, energy conservation, and local food and farmland initiatives.