Tag Archive for: #VCRFM

TownTalk: The Food Farmacy and VAD’s

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The folks at the Vance County Cooperative Extension have to keep their eyes and ears on a whole community as they provide programs and services that County Extension Director Dr. Wykia Macon puts into three broad categories: agriculture, food and nutrition and youth development.

Some programs – like this weekend’s Food Farmacy at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, for example – check all three boxes for community development, and Macon invites folks out to take part in some of the educational programs and earn some Market Bucks to spend with vendors.

The Food Farmacy program will focus on mental health, physical health and a variety of different things in between, she said.

Educational workshops will be held at the top of the hour beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, Macon said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. Topics range from understanding our relationship with food, food and feelings through therapeutic gardening and stretching our food dollars.

It’s a great way to share information with market customers and they’ll get to spend Market Bucks which will be a benefit to vendors, she explained.

The farmers market has become fertile ground for other special programs, too. Take the community garden space, for example. Most all the beds are rented, which is wonderful, Macon said.

Because there’s a little bit of a hill to navigate, steps have been installed and construction of a ramp is in the works to make the area totally accessible.

The community garden helps people who may not have space for a garden where they live to rent a bed and then get to the business of growing, cultivating, harvesting and enjoying their produce.

Even producers who do have ample land to grow vegetables or plant row crops need extra support from time to time, and that’s where programs like the Voluntary Agricultural District come in.

It’s a way to help farmers preserve their land and their way of life, even when development encroaches.

As the name implies, it is a voluntary program, Macon said, that affords farms and local agriculture some protections when it comes to incoming developments.

“Farmland loss is a huge issue in North Carolina,” Macon said. The VAD is one way to inform developers where working farms are located as they’re considering prospective sites for homes or other developments.

The VAD also has an advisory board, made up of active farmers and others interested in agriculture.

More and more active farms are figuring out ways to diversify their income streams and turning to agritourism, Macon said.

At the recent Kerr-Tar COG economic development summit in Henderson, Macon facilitated a panel discussion about the topic. Former Vance County Schools Superintendent Dr. Cindy Bennett represented Vance County on the panel and discussed her family’s venue, Hillside Farms.

The panelists were in agreement about the need for increased visibility and support at the county and regional level.

“For agritourism to really work, we need more people to know about it, (about) what’s going on, right?” Macon said. “I’m very hopeful when it comes to agritourism in this area,” she added.

Agritourism may be one way to boost economic development for individuals, but it also can bolster the county’s economic development.

“How do we grow as a county but preserve what we have along the way?” Macon said, adding that the county has so much to offer – recreational activities at Kerr Lake, the farmers market and more. “But we don’t want to lose ourselves as we are growing.”

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Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

TownTalk: Fall is in Full Swing at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market

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Saturday, Oct. 10 is Pumpkin Day at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, and Market Manager Stephen Wolf said the market will be ready with acrylic paints and pumpkins a-plenty for kids to come out and decorate.

Angie B’s Catering will be returning to serve up hotdogs, burgers and a new personal favorite, a jerk burger, Wolf said on Wednesday’s TownTalk.

It’ll be a good day for folks to come out to the market, decorate a pumpkin and just check out the variety of produce and handcrafted items between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Farmers have remained upbeat despite the lack of measurable rainfall lately, and Wolf said producers have some tasty greens including collards, cabbage and okra to go along with tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes and more.

Wolf, who stepped into the manager role mid-season, said he’s enjoyed meeting and working with the farmers. He’s already planning for the future and said he would love to see each bay door lined with producers next season.

Learn more about healthy foods and good nutrition practices on Saturday, Oct. 17 when the “Food Pharmacy” comes to the market. Folks who participate in the educational programs between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. will earn “bucks” to spend at the market, he said.

If you’ve taken a close look at the calendar, you’ll have already noticed that Halloween falls on a Saturday, and Wolf said he’s encouraging all vendors to join him by getting into Halloween spirit by decorating their market spaces and dressing in costumes that day.

Everybody loves a holiday market, and the farmers market will feature its own Handcrafted Holiday Market on Saturday, Nov. 14. Vendors will be set up inside – and outside, hopefully – to showcase their handiwork.

Of course, there will still be the regular offerings including locally sourced meats, eggs, fall produce and more, Wolf said.

The market’s final day of the season is Saturday, Dec. 12, and it’ll be a great time to take care of some additional holiday gift shopping as vendors and producers take a break for the winter. Wolf said he’s planning a post-market banquet at the close of the market as a special “thank you” to vendors and sponsors for a productive and successful market season.

Follow the Vance County Regional Farmers Market on Facebook to stay up-to-date on special events and activities taking place at the market, located at 210 Southpark Dr.

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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Relationships Matter

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Michael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

This segment explores why Extension is so involved with the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
Young Farmers application

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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Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

The Local Skinny! Live Music at the VCRFM this Saturday

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<Embedded Facebook Post Showing Farmers Market on Aug. 1, 2026>

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Original Post July 28, 2026:

This Saturday, Aug. 1, the Vance County Regional Farmers Market is offering up a little musical food for the soul to go along with all that fresh produce, yummy baked goods and colorful cut flowers, courtesy of Mysti Mayhem.

The Durham-based singer and songwriter brings her unique sound of soulful blues to the market for a performance from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Market Manager Stephen Wolf said folks are in for not just a musical treat, but a culinary one as well.

Mayhem’s husband is going to conduct a cooking class that involves making homemade mozzarella and different types of pesto.

Having live music is just one way Wolf wants to try to attract new visitors to the market. He’s been in the job close to a month now, and he said he’s pleased with the level of vendor participation and patrons.

And on days when there’s special entertainment, like this Saturday, the market will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., giving customers an extra hour to shop.

Last weekend’s rainy weather didn’t dampen attendance, he said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

There were more than 500 shoppers from Vance and other nearby counties, he said.

“Everyone is seeing the importance of shopping local,” he said, adding that he wants that sentiment to continue to grow.

From produce, fruit, baked goods and farm-raised meats to cut flowers and handicrafts, the market’s vendors provide a wide variety of products for customers to enjoy.

“I’ve gotten so much great feedback from the shoppers and vendors alike,” Wolf said, expressing their satisfaction with turnout and advertising, all to support the “eat local” philosophy.

Another way to support the “eat local” phenomenon with younger customers involves using technology. And QR codes.

Tech-savvy customers can create a personal QR code to get their names in the bucket for a raffle at the close of the season, Wolf said. There’s also a loyalty program that will reward repeat customers with a branded, reusable shopping bag after three trips. Customers who shop at the market five times will earn a little off their total shopping bill, he explained.

Of course, the QR code may not appeal to everyone and that’s fine, too.

While it’s one way to see how many visitors the market has on a given day, Wolf said he’d continue to use that ancient, muscle-powered device known as the handheld clicker.

“I will definitely still be operating the clicker,” he said.

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TownTalk: Stephen Wolf Tapped As New Market Manager at VCRFM

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As the new manager of the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, Stephen Wolf is stepping right in at the height of the growing season, and he said everyone should come on out to pick up locally grown fruits, veggies and more.

“There’s a lot of beautiful produce out here,” Wolf said in an interview on Wednesday.

Since starting his new job in July, Wolf’s observations are that neither the persistent drought conditions nor sweltering heat have deterred producers or customers from coming out to the market.

Last Wednesday, for example, he said as many as 250 people visited the market. GRRO was out signing seniors up for the senior voucher program. “That was a strong Wednesday,” he said.

Topped only by Saturday, July 4, when more than 450 came in, “despite the heat, despite the holiday, they still came out and supported local. That really made us all feel good.”

The role of a market manager is complex – part cheerleader, part accountant, part community networker, part human resources expert – and that’s probably just scratching the surface. But Wolf said he brings a skill set to the job that sets him up for success.

As an entrepreneur and small business owner, Wolf has more than a decade of experience in facility management, and he knows how to market and sell products.

And while his previous experience as a farmer is limited to summertime work in a Williamsboro tobacco field when he was younger, Wolf said he’s got a soft spot in his heart for farmers. He wants to see local producers not only succeed, but thrive.

He describes himself as an inquisitive person, and he’s always willing to ask questions if he doesn’t know something. Since he’s been on board, he’s been talking with vendors at the market, shaking hands, hearing their stories and about what their business does.

“I want to build strong relationships with everyone so that we can all grow together,” he said.

“I see everybody out here trying,” Wolf said of the folks who bring their produce, locally sourced meats, eggs, fresh-cut flowers and handicrafts to market each week. “They’re hard workers, trustworthy people. “I want to see us all thrive – it’s the love of the game. I want to see Henderson come up, I want to see the market come up and I really just want to see the success.”

While he’s promoting the idea of eating local, Wolf said he also wants to make sure people know where the market is.

“I just want to help increase the visibility back here off of Beckford,” he said. In addition to more signs planted along roadsides, Wolf is beefing up the market’s social media presence.

And upcoming events – including a Misty Mayhem concert and a cooking class both on Aug. 1 – should bring some additional foot traffic to the market.

“I think we have the best facility in the entire region,” Wolf said. In addition to a great covered building, the community garden and the native pollinator garden that the Master Gardeners oversee are extra attractions for folks to come and enjoy.

Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/vcrfm/

and https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/vance-county-regional-farmers-market/

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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Recap of the Spring Fling

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Michael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

The excitement at the market continues in this week’s show as we provide a recap of the Spring Fling along with several reminders of upcoming events and a new gardening method that we’ll soon begin to demonstrate at the Community Garden.

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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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Great Opening Weekend at the VCRFM

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Michael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

We recap the great opening day of the Vance County Regional Farmers Market and points to even more fun in the near future- the Spring Fling is May 9th!

go.ncsu.edu/vcrfmweather

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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TownTalk: Christy Stanley New Manager At Vance County Regional Farmers Market

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Christy Stanley most likely didn’t realize it at the time, but as a child helping her granddaddy make signs for his farmstand may just have planted a seed that has grown over the years. That seed, like Stanley, is all grown up now and bearing fruit.

And vegetables.

And live music and a coffee bar, to boot.

Stanley is the new market manager for the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, and she’s counting down the days until the market opens for the season on Saturday, May 2. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

There’s plenty to do between now and then, and Stanley is rarin’ to go.

With a fresh focus on making the market a destination for more than just fresh seasonal produce and other locally sourced items, the brand-new coffee bar will give customers something else to enjoy when they visit the market.

The plan is to have volunteer baristas from local FFA and gardener groups behind the counter on market days. Proceeds from the sale of coffee and other beverages will go right back into programming, marketing and more. There are plans to even have a special market blend available soon.

“This is one of the nicest farmers markets around,” Stanley said on Thursday’s TownTalk. “We want to elevate the experience,” she said, a place where folks want to come and hang out for a while – a place to bring out-of-town guests.”

Just one week into the official market start, on Saturday, May 9, there will be live music at the market. The plan is to offer a wide variety of music genres, from Southern Rock and jazz to reggae and mariachi, Stanley said.

“You don’t want to miss out on it,” she said.

The role of market manager seems a perfect fit for Stanley, who operates a small farm now along NC 39 near Williamsboro Wayside at Kerr Lake. The Little Red Fox Farm has an AirBNB on the property, too, which Stanley says is quite popular.

And truth be told, it was the lake that first attracted her and her husband to the area. They’re both big fishermen, she said, and they spent a lot of time driving from their home in Youngsville up to the lake to fish.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Stanley found herself watching videos about farming and how to make small-scale farming profitable. It was during that period shutdowns and restrictions that Stanley and her husband turned to farming.

“Nowadays, you’re actually able to produce quite a bit on a small farm,” Stanley said. Her focus now is mainly poultry – chickens and turkeys. But she’s dabbled in beef production and has a few pigs roaming and rooting around the place now. As she puts it, she’s “raising bacon.”

Stanley’s exposure to farms had been limited – just summer visits to Mississippi to her grandparents’ farm when she was a child – but she understands the value of having locally sourced food to eat.

“I think more than ever, we’re moving into a direction where, to get local food, you’re going to see a need for more people entering the industry…(people) that maybe never thought of it before,” she said.

Small-scale farming provides a wider variety of people – especially women – a path to producing foods for consumers who are searching for local sources of fruits, vegetables and more.

She applied for the market manager job because she felt it would be a perfect fit for her. It’s important to be available to her family and grandchildren, but also to serve her community.

“I just think it was meant to be that we ended up here,” Stanley said.

Stay up to date by visiting https://vance.ces.ncsu.edu/vance-county-regional-farmers-market/ or follow along on social media at https://www.facebook.com/vcrfm/

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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Opening Day at the VCRFM Coming Soon

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Michael Ellington, on the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report:

Today’s segment is full of helpful reminders for gardeners, livestock owners, and community members. I provide dates for Extension’s annual Report to the People, an upcoming America 250 celebration, and the opening day of the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.

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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TownTalk: Year End Review of Cooperative Extension with Dr. Wykia Macon

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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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