Local Foods AmeriCorps Member
AmeriCorps members in the Local Foods Program are social enterprise business partners learning to run their own organic market vegetable production business. Grow Appalachia participants gather to share home gardening techniques. Together you will learn and grow in the gardens, in the kitchen, in wellness and in entrepreneurship, for a hands-on education in the importance of healthy food choices; plant, care for, harvest, pack, store, process and prepare vegetables from the High Rocks gardens and high tunnel, learning about the health and nutrition available from locally grown produce and providing nourishing options for peers and for the local market. This hands-on education broadens students’ understanding of the importance of healthy food choices and gives them an immersive experience of participating in the local economy as producers, responsible for every step of how the vegetables they eat get to their plates. Nutrition education is an experiential piece of the transformative camps where for over 20 years girls have realized their potential, and of our non-residential programs for the larger community.
Member Duties : * Plant and care for vegetable gardens. * Mentor students. * Harvest, post-harvest handling, pack, store, and process vegetables. * Food preparation for healthy snacks and meals at programs and events including camp. * Wellness and healthy food programming. * Coordinate educational programs including logistics and hosting. * Distribute flyers, contact participants by phone, email, and social media, assist with transportation. * Assist with distributing gardening supplies to 30 local gardeners. * Share environmentally conscious practices including recycling and composting. * Remove invasive species and construct or improve trails. * Record keeping and data collection and entry. * Physical activities for youth to become more fit. * Volunteer training, activity coordination, and hosting. * Write thank you letters.
Program Benefits : Training , Education award upon successful completion of service, Living Stipend, Childcare assistance if eligible, Health Coverage, and Housing Provided.