Alternative Fall Break — Emory Students and American Conservation Experience
When you think of a fall break from college, you might think of a ski trip, or going camping, or spending time with your family — but you probably wouldn’t think about doing volunteer work. The students of Emory University have different ideas. Over a September holiday weekend, they drove up from Atlanta to do just that. On Monday, Sept. 13th, SAHC welcomed 21 students to the Community Farm for an entire day of trail work and invasive plant removal. The students came from all grades and fields of study; including neuroscience, Arabic, and dance. Read more
The cost of farm equipment is something that can make starting a farm feel impossible. Tractors alone can cost upwards of $30,000, and then there are all the implements and attachments that are specific to each agricultural activity. In order to assist farmers in having access to more equipment, 
Mmmmmmm, sweet, sweet honey — Fresh from the hive! The chronicle of our rescued honeybee hive continued this fall with our first honey harvest. What could be sweeter than seeing this thriving, rescued hive proliferating through the summer and making new honey stores to last through the coming winter? A learning experience that tastes good, too!
“I think that tree needs a name. It looks like a Walter to me.”
Good news this summer! Our rescued honeybees made it through the winter – and when Community Farm and Food Assistant Yael Girard peeked inside the hive recently, she had this story to tell:
It was hot – but not too hot – just the kind of bright summer sun you imagine plants loving to soak in.
The forecast said to expect a wintry mix on the first morning in March, as a group of 
From our blog posts earlier this year, you may have already gathered that we have A LOT going on at our Community Farm in Alexander, NC. Last week, we added one more aspect to this multifaceted project site — beekeeping. Farm intern Yael Girard came across a disturbed wild honeybee swarm while out scouting the planned route of our interpretive trail. Luckily, Yael had the experience and equipment to act quickly to save the colony. Here is her account of the day:
It was hot – probably the first really hot day since an early summer monsoon season drenched Western North Carolina, and the ticks were already out in full force. But that didn’t stop the work crew from Green Opportunities (GO) as they rigorously tackled trail building at the SAHC Community Farm.
On a chilly mid-March day, SAHC’s Anderson Farm was host for an AmeriCorps service day. Fourteen AmeriCorps Project Conserve members, currently serving at host sites throughout Western North Carolina, came together on SAHC’s Community Farm to lend their hands in building a trail on the 100 acre property.
