( Bluefield)—Dr. Tammy Ferguson, Dean/School of Arts & Sciences, has been elected President of the Tazewell (VA) Farmer’s Market. She had previously served as marketing manager for the organization. As president, she will seek funding and coordinate operations of the open-air market, which provides area farmers an opportunity to sell their produce each Saturday, June-October.

“The Farmers Market connects the producer directly to the consumer,” Ferguson explained. “Our Farmers Market is supported entirely by grants and by donations from the Farm Bureau Federation and local organizations. It enables participating farmers to set up, free of charge, each week at a convenient site (the Farm Bureau parking lot, Four-Way, Tazewell) and it attracts a significant number of shoppers.”

Ferguson also stressed the symbiotic relationship between the College and the community—a connection strengthened by the willingness of faculty and staff to become involved in volunteerism. “Opportunities for community service exist in numbers much greater than we’d imagine at first glance,” she added. “For members of the Bluefield State College community, volunteerism is the means of giving back to the community. For the residents of this region, our volunteerism is a reminder of the benefits of having a college in the community.”

November 1, 2006