NC Coop Extension

The Local Skinny! Farmers Market Vendor Courses

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This is the time of year when local gardeners are perusing seed catalogs or checking in with local nurseries about when the vegetable slips will be ready to purchase.  The April 15 frost date seems a long way off, but gardeners are planning now in order to reap the benefits – literally – when spinach, peas, beans and more are ready to harvest.

Vance County Cooperative Extension is hosting a series of vendor workshops during March for anyone interested in participating in farmers markets in Vance, Granville or other nearby counties.

Vance County Agriculture Agent Michael Ellington said the classes will be held on Saturday mornings beginning Mar. 8 and will continue on Mar. 15, 22 and 29. The first three sessions will be from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the Mar. 29 session will last from 10 a.m to 1 p.m.

All sessions will be held at Salem United Methodist Church, 4151 Salem Rd., Oxford.

Each session has a different focus, Ellington explained.

  • 8 – the basics of business
  • 15 – marketing – product placement for optimum visibility on tables in the market
  • 22 – knowing your customers and follow-up to sales
  • 29 – basic food safety

Vendors often sell at more than one farmers market, Ellington said, so it just makes sense that these vendor trainings are offered to individuals from numerous counties throughout the area.

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market may see a higher volume than some of the other area markets because of tourism – folks visiting Kerr Lake or traveling along I-85 may choose to stop in, he noted.

He would like to see the Vance market be an incubator market for others who are just getting started in growing produce or for those who are interested in expanding their existing production.

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market will have a new feature this year, if all goes according to plan.

Ellington said volunteers and others have been whacking away at kudzu to create a community garden on the campus of the farmers market.

More volunteers are needed at upcoming workdays, he said:

  • Mar. 21 – working on establishing garden borders – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Mar. 29 – marking walkways and preparing for stone installation – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Apr. 11 – installing garden beds – 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

“We want to have the community realize that this is their market, and the garden is theirs,” Ellington said. The community garden would be a perfect spot for those who want a garden but lack the space or the confidence to plant, tend and harvest on their own.

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Vance County Logo

TownTalk: State of the County

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It didn’t take long for Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry to address what she called “the elephant in the room” during the “State of the County” report hosted by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the Henderson Country Club.

Perry and Assistant County Manager Jeremy Jones reviewed goals, economic development successes, as well as several challenges the county faces as it moves forward.

When she became county manager in November 2023, Perry and county staff had in front of them a few challenges to sort through – including that “elephant in the room” that Perry mentioned: A former finance director who embezzled $1.4 million in county funds.

Perry said $1 million of that has been recouped, and she and her team are looking to the future.

Making financial lemonade from lemons, Perry said the county has overcome its past and now has much stronger internal controls in place to protect citizens’ tax dollars.

“We have a committed team of leaders who strive every day to make Vance County thrive,” families flourish” and stay strong, she said.

Always forward-facing, Perry said “our past does not define us. It’s the work we’re doing now” that counts.

Key to Vance County’s growth is economic development, and Perry said she supports responsible growth to create a stronger, more vibrant community.

The Board of Commissioners has chosen to keep their goals from last year and add to the list, Perry said.

The goals include:

  • purchase land for an EMS substation in Williamsboro and an EMS central station
  • pursue land acquisition, construction of a new detention center
  • take next steps for the recently completed fire study
  • continue construction of Phase 1B of the county water system and increase water connection signups by 20 percent
  • work with city to build better relationships for services offered
  • plan for using opioid settlement money and identify programs to reduce drug dependency
  • retain or assist in creation of 150 jobs and $10 million in new investment

The county has 90 vacancies, most notably in social services – 42 vacant positions – and the detention center – 20 openings.

It’s tough for a rural county to compete with more lucrative packages that nearby counties can offer. Wake and Durham counties are just a commute away, Perry said, and that makes Vance County an ideal spot to live – but not to work. Simply put, Vance County just can’t match bonuses and other incentives that larger, more urban counties can.

The county did enact, however, a 7 percent COLA (cost of living adjustment), effective July 1, 2024.

She encouraged those in attendance to stay positive and hopeful for a positive future.

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Home and Garden Show

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

The Granville-Vance-Warren Beginner Beekeeping School will be on March 1st, at 9am at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.

The Vance-Warren Beekeepers Association will have their March Meeting on Monday, March 10th, at 7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.

The Growing The Spring Vegetable Garden Workshop will happen on Monday March 31st, 6:30pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market. This event will be hosted by Wayne Rowland.

  • Pruning season is fast approaching, sharpen your pruning equipment,  Cooperative Extension has pruning publications that will show how to correctly prune fruit trees and grape vines.
  • Check the central Piedmont planting guide for vegetables that can be planted in each month.
  • Fertilize your fescue lawn if you haven’t already done so.
  • With warmer temperatures this week check for cool season broadleaf weeds in your lawn and spray them if needed. 
  • Continue planting trees and shrubs anytime soil is workable.
  • Organize seed packets according to planting date.
  • Do not till soil if it is wet.
  • Check seedlings daily for moisture.
  • Keep that garden journal up to date.
  • Treat sheds, lawn furniture, and wooden handled tools with wood preservative if needed.
  • Check houseplants dust weekly with a soft cloth.
  • Check storage areas for mice.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

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TownTalk: Vance County Child Well-Being Landscape Analysis February 2025

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The executive summary of a 47-page report released earlier this month paints a sobering picture for children in Vance County, and includes information about challenges, disparities and gaps in a range of services in the community to support children’s well-being.

A project team from Positive Childhood Alliance North Carolina gathered information from 16 community partners who agreed to participate in the study. Through these structured interviews, the team learned about current programs and services available to children and families in the county, as well as identify the most pressing issues and challenges children here face and how those challenges affect children’s well-being.

“Children in Vance County face significantly greater challenges than those confronting the average child in North Carolina,” the executive report states. “This disparity can be significantly reduced by increasing collaboration among the agencies and organizations that serve the most vulnerable families and children in Vance County.”

PCANC provided a project team for the study and worked in partnership with Cara Gill, executive director of Strength and Mending Child Advocacy Center of Henderson. The study was commissioned by Triangle North Healthcare Foundation with support from the John William Pope Foundation.

In the North Carolina Public School Forum’s 2023 report called The Roadmap of Need: A Whole Child Needs Assessment for North Carolina Youth, Vance County ranked 93rd worst out of 100 counties for “indicators of wellness across five domains: economic development, physical health, mental health and safety, education inputs and education outcomes.”

The recently released TNHF report uses this information, as well as information from a 2022 vulnerability assessment for the Kerr-Tar COG which states that “Vance County residents, specifically near the county seat of Henderson, should be considered the most vulnerable group in the region.”

The TNHF report includes a list of programs, agencies and resources in the county that work to meet the needs of children and families, from social service agencies to food, housing and day care, to name a few.

The study participants identified mental health needs among the top needs that affect the children in the county. A shortage of programs and staff means more than half the county’s children and adults aren’t able to access the behavioral health care they need.

Click Here to View Full Document

 

 

2/26/24 – Click Play!

TownTalk: Duke RAM Clinic is Coming This Weekend

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The Duke RAM free mobile clinic is coming to Henderson this weekend, and organizers say they are planning to provide free medical, dental and vision care for hundreds in the community.

Anvi Charvu has been involved with the Remote Area Medical clinic for several years. And now, Charvu said this year’s clinic will include more staff for pediatric patients as well as more interpreters to better assist Spanish speakers.

The clinic has grown since it first came to Henderson a few years ago. That first year, the clinic saw 120 patients. The next year, 230, and last year, there were 330 patients that received care at the clinic, which will again be set up at Vance Charter School, 2090 Ross Mill Rd.

Those increasing numbers “means we’re getting the word out to people who need it,” Charvu said.

Lara Kendall and Charvu , both Duke University students, were guests on Tuesday’s TownTalk. Kendall said patients can arrive as early as midnight before the 6 a.m. Saturday start time.

Patients can choose medical care both days, but are asked to select either dental OR vision care for one day’s visit. Patients are free to return on Day 2, however, in order to get both dental and vision care.

The clinic doors open at 6 a.m. each day and providers will see patients through the afternoon on Saturday, with hopes to wrap up by mid-afternoon on Sunday.

Since the beginning, the RAM clinic has been well-received and well supported by the Henderson community. First Baptist Church is a new partner this year and Triangle North Healthcare Foundation has been a key partner for the RAM clinic each year, Charvu said.

“We couldn’t do it without them,” she noted.

Kendall said patients will be asked to wait in their cars before the clinic opens each morning, so be prepared with snacks, water, entertainment and blankets to stay warm until the clinic doors open.

There will be a variety of community resource partners on hand to provide information to clients, and there will be fresh produce available for distribution as well.

The clinic works on a first-come, first-served basis, so Kendall and Charvu said it’s important to come early.

The army of volunteers and health care providers give selflessly of their time during these RAM clinics. Charvu called the doctors, dentists, nurses and others  “extremely kindhearted” as they donate their time to provide much-needed health care to underserved populations.

This year, health care professionals from Duke University Hospital are helping with the vision and medical clinics; dentists from UNC-Chapel Hill are pitching in on the dental side.

“We love to collaborate with schools,” Charvu said. The RAM clinic will have plenty of volunteers to assist patients, and Charvu encourages folks to come take advantage of the free medical care. You will not be asked to show ID or proof of insurance at the clinic, she said.

Visit https://www.ramusa.org/ to learn more about the organization.

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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: We Might Want to See Insects in Our Gardens

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On the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report with Michael Ellington:

We explore a few reasons why we might want to see insects in our gardens.

Included are reminders for upcoming series designed to educate about backyard chickens and becoming a more successful market vendor:

Backyard Chicken Workshop – This course covers the basics of starting your backyard flock. Saturday, March 8 · 4 – 5pm EST at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, 210 Southpark Dr. Henderson, NC 27536. Link below for more information.

https://go.ncsu.edu/chicken101

 

Anatomy of a Market Vendor Education – Need help turning your farm dreams into reality? Come join us for our upcoming Anatomy of a Market series and learn about forming business plans, marketing, customer engagement, and in-depth details about food safety! Happening Saturdays from 10am-11am at Salem United Methodist Church, 4151 Salem Rd, Oxford, NC 27565. Link below for more information.

https://go.ncsu.edu/anatomy

 

Community Garden Volunteer Form – The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is establishing a community garden in an effort to make gardening more accessible to everyone. To achieve our goals, we’re seeking volunteers to help plan, establish, and maintain the garden facilities. Volunteers with all levels of experience or ability are invited to join! Three workdays have been scheduled for initial planning and site preparation and we hope you’ll join us!

  • March 21st 1p.m. – 5p.m. – Establishing garden borders. Setting storage building, constructing building ramp.
  • March 29th 1p.m. – 5p.m. – Marking walkways, preparing for stone installation. Constructing first plant beds.
  • April 11th 2:30p.m. – 6:30p.m. – Installing soil, pathway stones, and creating punch list for remaining tasks before opening.

Link below for more information and the form to fill out!

https://go.ncsu.edu/vcrfmgarden

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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The Local Skinny! SBI Called In On Officer-Involved Shooting That Left One Citizen Dead

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UPDATED MONDAY, FEB. 24 AT 2:59 PM

 

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF VANCE COUNTY SHERIFF CURTIS BRAME

The Vance County Sheriff’s Office wishes to provide the following update regarding the 22 February 2025 Officer Involved Shooting. 

Shortly before noon on the date listed above a Vance County Deputy Sheriff conducted a traffic stop on US 1 in the Kittrell area. During the stop it was discovered that the driver, Johnny Mayfield, had numerous outstanding orders for his arrest. The Deputy, following his lawful duty, attempted to take Mayfield into custody at that time. Mayfield refused to comply with commands from the Deputy and a brief foot chase ensued. 

 

Mayfield, after running across numerous lanes of traffic on US 1, returned to his vehicle, entered into the driver’s seat and continued his flight from the Deputy, leaving the female occupant of his vehicle on the roadside. The Deputy continued his pursuit of Mayfield north into Henderson. The vehicle pursuit ended after Mayfield wrecked his vehicle on West Bell Street in the city limits of Henderson. Mayfield exited his vehicle and fled again. 

 

The Deputy exited his patrol car and began to pursue Mayfield on foot a second time. Mayfield continued his flight onto West Young Avenue. As the Deputy continued the pursuit onto West Young Avenue Mayfield walked into the roadway carrying a glass bottle and began to walk towards the Deputy stating “I’m going to kill you”. The Deputy drew his weapon and began to walk backwards away from Mayfield as he continued to walk towards the Deputy, again Mayfield stated “I’m going to kill you”. While attempting to distance himself from Mayfield the Deputy lost his footing and fell to the ground onto his back. As the Deputy fell to the ground Mayfield broke the bottle on the roadway and continued to walk towards to the Deputy, now with the remainder of the broken bottle in his right hand, stating again “I’m going to kill you”. 

 

The Deputy regained his footing and stood up facing Mayfield. Mayfield then lunged at the Deputy with the broken bottle in his hand. The Deputy discharged his weapon striking Mayfield. The Deputy reported over the radio that shots had been fired and requested emergency assistance. The Deputy, and other units, attempted life saving measures on Mayfield until such time as EMS units arrived on the scene. 

 

The Deputy involved has been placed on Administrative Leave, as is standard procedure, pending the results of the NCSBI Investigation. The Vance County Sheriff’s Office is cooperating with the NCSBI including the preservation of all video recordings.

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UPDATED MONDAY, FEB. 24 AT 12:45 PM

The investigation continues into an officer-related shooting that resulted in the death of a person on Saturday morning in Henderson.

In a press statement issued Saturday, Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame confirmed that the person died from injuries received in the incident.

The sheriff notified the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, and the SBI issued the following statement:

“At the request of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office and the 11th Prosecutorial District Attorney, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Saturday morning in Henderson, NC.

Preliminary investigations suggest that a series of incidents occurred between a Vance County Deputy and a citizen. As a result, an altercation ensued, and a deputy drew his service weapon and fired, striking and killing the citizen.

No law enforcement officers were injured in this incident. SBI agents on the scene collected evidence and are conducting interviews. The findings of the SBI investigation will be shared with the Vance County District Attorney for his review and consideration.”

Additional details will be provided as they become available.

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