Mecklenburg County Cooperative Extension is committed to providing community centered education that showcases the linkages between food and culture as agriculture is presented in its various forms across its urban county. Their team is cultivating a multidisciplinary Urban Extension program, drawing from an understanding of the importance of building and sustaining trusting, equitable relationships to address the needs of the diverse communities who call this county home.As the Mecklenburg County Center has undergone significant organizational changes in the past year and a half, they are growing in numbers and strength, led by Dr. Barbara Worley, County Extension Director with Urban Ag and Community Rural Development (CRD) responsibilities. Barbara is also responsible for the overall leadership, administration, marketing, and staff while providing community engagement educational opportunities and research in the field of science communications. She is passionate about addressing myths related to farming and local food systems and her work focuses on land use preservation, environmental issues, and economic development, while also taking into consideration the intersections between food and culture. 

Mecklenburg County is the most densely populated urban county in the state with a population of 1.16 million in 2023. Many of the producers and farmers are located outside of county limits but play an integral part in having fresh, local products within the food system leading the Extension staff to actively work to bridge this peri-urban setting. Their strong relationship with the county government allows them to support the food system through educational efforts for these producers to bolster their businesses. “Due to the multifaceted nature of agriculture in an urban area, our programmatic efforts can not be approached in a siloed manner,” Barbara shared.

As she works to cultivate an office centered around local food work, an important hire was Local Foods Agent, Samantha (Sam) DeRosa, who has hit the ground running in her short time with Extension. She wears many hats including working with the FCS, 4-H, and Urban Ag/Hort Agents to serve as a point of contact and coordinator for local food related programs, youth and adult program volunteer coordination and management, and social media marketing and communications. Sam supported Extension Master Gardener Volunteers while working with Public Health Edible Landscapes and Parks and Rec Community Garden Projects. She has also coordinated information sessions with university specialists for local growers on crop planning and soil health, and her upcoming project focuses on building consumer, producer and vendor awareness in the local food system by way of a local foods week called “Love Your Local: Celebrating Local Foods” which will kick off on Earth Day (4/22/25) and include a kick off dinner, brewery trivia, gardening demos, cooking demos, engagement with farmers markets, and more! Another important member of the local food team and also newer to her role in Mecklenburg County is Demetria Cox-Thomas, Family & Consumer Sciences Agent, and former Extension Master Food Volunteer. Demetria works closely with farmers markets in the county to host food demos that highlight seasonal ingredients and use recipes that include products/produce from the farmers at each market. The markets where these demos were hosted include Uptown, Rosa Parks, and North Mecklenburg Community Markets. The ingredients that Demetria featured sold out at each of the markets where the demos were hosted! During these markets she also distributed More In My Basket materials, a research-based program from NC State Extension which aims to increase food security for SNAP recipients through education around purchasing and preparing farmers’ market produce while also increasing farmer income through direct sales.

Other primary projects and programs related to local food include a new incubator farm in collaboration with the county government; an urban agriculture park on the site of the Extension office in collaboration with the county parks and rec; providing research and education about urban agriculture and what local means; Extension Master Food Volunteer (EMFV) and Extension Master Gardener Volunteer (EMGV) work; and supporting the Voluntary Ag District (VAD). Another new hire helping to support this work is Todd DeZwaan, Urban Ag/Hort Agent, who is responsible for educational programming and technical assistance in urban ag, small farms, and innovative production, as well as commercial and consumer horticulture. While many of these projects and programs are not necessarily unique to Mecklenburg County, the way in which they are being conceived and implemented are unique to their urban area. 

When asked about what advice the team would give to other counties involved in local food work, their top suggestions all centered around building relationships within the local food system and broader local food network. This included getting to know local farmers market managers and food hubs, engaging with the NC Farmers Market Network, and developing strong relationships with local food specialists and staff regionally and across the state as well as your regional council of governments. The last suggestion was to garner a comprehensive understanding of the county initiatives and government policies related to the local food system such as zoning, licensure, and food safety requirements. 

Barbara, Sam, and Demetria are hopeful that the increased awareness of local foods, especially in urban areas, will foster a greater sense of connection between communities and producers. They shared how important the relationship with their county government has been to elevate the recognition and awareness of the local food system and to allow Extension to provide increased support for producers while building a more resilient and sustainable food system. 

And now for my favorite part of these articles – favorite local food recipe! Barbara started out strong with a beet napoleon using local roasted beets, layered with whipped cream, local chèvre and toasted wonton crisps, and topped with truffle oil, salt, and toasted local pecans. Sam and Demetria shared opposite seasonal favorites – a winter soup for Sam and summer smoothies for Demetria! Sam’s winter soup includes local andouille sausage, chicken broth, local black eyed peas, and local collard greens. For Demetria’s smoothies she says to get creative and use what’s in season and available with a fun and unique suggestion including cucumber, peach, cantaloupe, honey, lime juice, ginger juice, and thai basil!

Okay now I’m ready to shop the markets and get in the kitchen with these three!