The next Open Volunteer Day at the Mill Spring Agricultural Development Center will be held Thursday, Jan. 20 from 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Workers are needed for light carpentry, painting, moving inventory and organizing donations. Outdoor and yard work is also needed, weather permitting. Lunch will be provided.

Register for an 8 a.m. noon or 1 5 p.m. shift if you have special skills or equipment to offer. However, any number of hours of help from every level of skill and ability will be appreciated.

Job descriptions include basic yard-work, scraping and painting, light construction, hand-gardening/plantings and landscaping. Free lunch will be provided for all volunteers that day from 12 – 1 p.m.

Volunteer help and donations have been the driving forces behind the ag centers rapid development, signaling a strong determination from community and businesses alike to keep Polk County rural and farmland-based. The centers mission to serve as a resource for agricultural development and farmland preservation includes agricultural marketplace and distribution, education, community service and business development.

The center will also offer meeting facilities, classrooms, private office space, art studio space, training kitchens, administrative offices, demonstration gardens, a farm-product co-operative market and a small business-services center.

Register by calling 919-414-7840 and sign up for the morning or afternoon shift, or just drop in. Mention if you are an individual or a group and what special restoration/construction/gardening skills you may have. You can also e-mail polkamericorps@gmail.com.