AMERICORPS NATIONAL CIVILIAN COMMUNITY CORPS SEEKS TO SUSTAIN THE TEACHING OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

EDGARTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS—A team with the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), an AmeriCorps program, is working with The FARM Institute to improve the capacity of the non-profit’s working farm so as to enable the teaching of more children and adults in sustainable agriculture. For the next four-and-a-half weeks, 8 NCCC members will be working hard building and renovating the farm in order to fulfill its purpose.

The team, Raven 2, will help accomplish The FARM Institute’s mission, which addresses educating and engaging children and adults in sustainable agriculture through the diverse operations of a 162-acre working farm. During its four-and-a-half-week term here, the team aims to complete the construction of the Elwell Solar Greenhouse attached to the main building, renovate summer classrooms and animal stalls, rebuild animal pens, prepare planting beds, and much more. 

“NCCC Teams like Raven 2 help us to accomplish tasks we haven’t got time to do,” said Sidney Morris, Volunteer Manager of The Farm Institute. 

The Raven 2 team is based in Perry Point, Md., but consists of members from around the country. In addition to working with The FARM Institute, members of the team will be searching out other volunteer opportunities around Martha’s Vineyard in hopes to further the good its non-profits provide to its island communities.  

AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, residential, national service program in which 1,100 young adults serve nationwide each year.  During their 10-month term, Corps Members – all 18 to 24 years old – work on teams of eight to 12 on projects that address critical needs related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship and conservation, energy conservation, and urban and rural development. Members mentor students, construct and rehabilitate low-income housing, respond to natural disasters, clean up streams, help communities develop emergency plans, and address countless other local needs. The Atlantic Region campus in Perry Point is one of five regional hubs in the United States and serves fourteen states in the northeast part of the country.  The other campuses are located in Denver, Colorado, Sacramento, California, Vicksburg, Mississippi and Vinton, Iowa.

In exchange for their service, Corps Members receive $5,550 to help pay for college, or to pay back existing student loans.  Other benefits include a small living stipend, room and board, leadership development, increased self-confidence, and the knowledge that, through active citizenship, people can indeed make a difference.  AmeriCorps NCCC is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency.  The Corporation improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. For more information about AmeriCorps NCCC, visit the website at www.americorps.gov/nccc