ON SATURDAY MORNINGS AT THE FARMERS MARKET, shoppers drift past tables piled high with berries, gourds and leafy greens.

Stretching from Cherokee County in the west all the way to Pitt County in the east, Donation Stations are a growing initiative of NC State Extension that connects farmers markets, local farmers and food pantries in a simple but powerful way: while at the farmers market, shoppers can donate directly with cash or with extra produce. Extension staff then use those funds to purchase a fresh food harvest from local farmers at market price and then deliver it directly to families facing food insecurity.

“For families, access to fresh, local produce sends a powerful message that their community is investing in their health,” said Virginia Lopez, a Family and Consumer Sciences Extension agent in Forsyth County, where three Donation Stations now support six food pantries. “It moves us beyond ‘enough’, reinforcing dignity and equality in a way that can’t be matched by canned goods or over-processed store bought items.”

The Impact

In Forsyth County, which covers the Winston-Salem area, the program grew from one market to three in just over a year. On a typical market day, Extension staff and volunteers set up tents stocked with colorful produce, engage shoppers with hearty conversation and carefully log every donation. Pantry partners report that recipients are often amazed by a level of freshness they aren’t used to receiving with their produce. 

When viewing this impact across households, in 2024, Forsyth County alone contributed nearly 1,100 pounds of produce in just six market days. “Every pound represents a healthy choice that wasn’t available to them before,” Lopez said.

“Every pound represents a healthy choice that wasn’t available to them before.”

“Purchasing directly from farmers helps them sustain their businesses so they can continue feeding their communities indefinitely,” said Jessica Mollet, a Family and Consumer Sciences Extension agent in Madison County. “Food-insecure families get fresh produce, and farmers get reliable sales.” Mollet sees that dual impact as a key part of the program’s long-term success.

In Madison County, encompassing an area north of Asheville, Mollet oversees two Donation Stations, one on Saturdays near a university campus staffed primarily by student volunteers, and another weekday station in an urban area run by retirees.

2025 Donation Station Statewide Year in Review

“The people of Appalachia can be proud,” Mollet said. “They often carry shame around poverty and hesitate to use resources because they feel someone else needs it more. By placing pantries in places people already go, like libraries, clinics, churches and schools, families can access food without any paperwork or hefty explanation. That quiet dignity matters.”

Each Donation Station starter kit includes everything needed to set up a booth: branded tablecloths, baskets, signage, scales, whiteboards and even a spinning wheel to spark conversation with market-goers. Counties only need one table, a couple of chairs and a container for donations to get started.

“The kit removes the startup friction,” Mollet said. “It gives counties the tools, structure and confidence to launch these programs right away.” Standardized volunteer training and onboarding is also crucial to ensuring stations remain effective, ethical and community-centered from day one, ensuring proper reporting and food handling practices.

“The Donation Station seeks to bridge another gap between nutrition education and food access,” Lopez said. “We want to teach families how to develop financially feasible strategies to eat well as frequently as possible — and what excites me most is turning this into permanent infrastructure so that no North Carolina harvest will ever go to waste while there are still families out there going to bed hungry.”

“What excites me most is turning this into permanent infrastructure so that no North Carolina harvest will ever go to waste while there are still families out there going to bed hungry.”

For donors and partners, Mollet says the timing couldn’t be more urgent, “With uncertainty around federal food subsidies and the long-term impacts of COVID and Hurricane Helene, there has never been a better time to invest in local food systems and a healthier future.” 

Counties can contact their local Cooperative Extension office to learn how to start a station of their own.