From where Dr. Wykia Macon sits, being the director of the Vance County Cooperative Extension is a lot like being a coach – and, reflecting on a busy 2025, she and her team are looking forward to another successful year as 2026 approaches.
But Macon isn’t just calling the shots from the sidelines – she considers herself a part of the team, too.
“We all offer expertise and skills in our own area,” Macon said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.
In her role as county extension director, Macon is in a unique position that has her reporting to both county leadership and to the universities – N.C. State and N.C. A&T State.
Part of the role of cooperative extension is “to bring information from the universities and bring it back here,” she said.
Back in the day it was known as Agriculture Extension, but Cooperative Extension opens it up for a variety of programs to benefit and serve a wide swath within the community.
And each year, Macon said she finds time to meet with each of the agents on Vance County’s team for reflection and planning, as well as to learn how she can better support their efforts.
She said she will continue to work to strengthen connections among the extension agent team members as well as those external partnerships in the larger community to expand extension’s reach.
The extension service has a presence across the county, whether it’s through the community garden at the farmers market, having a beekeepers’ class or helping new farmers find their niche.
“I think that’s the fun part about extension – we can do a little bit of everything,” she said.
She said the agents work “to encourage people to grow where they are,” which could mean growing plants in containers or in a hydroponic system when a plot of land isn’t available.
Food and Nutrition programming isn’t merely safe preparation of food, but it’s real home “economics,” Macon explained – how to cook the food you grow and how to stretch your dollar further.
Youth development activities have 4H Clubs that offer STEM activities alongside healthy living and leadership-building programs.
And then there’s the popular food competition that kids have really gotten into. The Dinah Gore competition is sort of like the reality TV show “Chopped,” turning mystery ingredients into a winning dish. Vance County High School will have a group participating in this project next year, Macon said.
“If they win the state competition, they’ll go to nationals,” she said.
Macon and her small team of agents rely on volunteers from the community to keep engagement high. She calls it putting ownership into the community’s hands.
“We’re at a place right now, because we’re out there, we’re gaining interest,” she said. People are asking more questions about how to become involved, asking more questions. “It’s just another way to extend (our) reach in the community,” Macon added.
There’s a Small Farm Boot Camp series beginning in January to help new producers learn about the different aspects of farming, a bee school to learn about all beekeeping, farmers market demos to share information about healthy food choices and preparation, and a possible “grill-off” for participants to show off their best grill skills.
There’s a lot in store for 2026. Follow the cooperative extension on Facebook, check the website at https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/ or drop in the office at 305 Young St. The phone number is 252.438.8188.
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