Ag center, soil & water district give annual reports
What was once an old rundown school that hadn’t been used in almost two decades is now the hub for Polk County agriculture with 18 local businesses, a place where 76 vendors sell food and crafts and plans for much more.
The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Monday, March 19 and heard annual reports from the Polk County Soil and Water District and the Mill Spring Agricultural Center.
Polk Soil and Water Conservation District Board Chairman Richard Smith discussed the almost $230,000 the district received in grants last year and the $137,000 in funding to Polk farmers from the federal government for cost sharing and best management practices.
The soil and water district also sponsored several educational programs last year, including an essay contest, a poster contest, a land judging contest and a resource conservation workshop.
This is the 75th anniversary of the soil and water conservation service.
Mill Spring Agricultural Center Director Patrick McLendon said the ag center is operating in the black. Through the hard work of many, he said, the center has grown from brick and mortar to the “soul of the agricultural community.”
The former Mill Spring School was donated to the soil and water district and has been renovated to include offices for 18 local businesses as well as the PolkFresh TradePost, a store where local farmers and artisans sell products with 76 current vendors.