Carvel Research and Education Center
Welcome
UD's 347-acre Agriculture Research Experimental Station and Sussex Cooperative Extension
Bird Flu: What you need to know
UD poultry agent shares 6 facts about
avian Influenza
Save the Date!
Agronomic and crop field tours
August 14, 2025
Poultry Health
Research + Extension
Sharing the latest research with our community
The Elbert N. and Ann V. Carvel Research and Education Center
The Carvel Center campus, located in Georgetown in Sussex County, fulfills the tripartite mission of our land-grant university — teaching, research and Extension outreach. The Carvel Center serves as the southern agriculture experiment station for the University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and encompasses the Thurman Adams Jr. Agriculture Research Farm (347 acres) with a focus on agronomic, vegetable and horticulture crops, the Warrington Irrigation Research Farm (120 acres) in Harbeson, Lasher Laboratory for poultry diagnostics, and the Jones Hamilton Environmental Research House. Our campus is also home to Sussex County Cooperative Extension providing programing in 4-H Youth Development, Poultry, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Lawn and Garden.
With an overall staff of 50 full-time administrators, agents, faculty, and specialists, assisted by 50 to 70 seasonal part-time employees and student interns, the Carvel Center paves the way in serving the needs of the agricultural industry, youth and families, students and residents of our great state. Learn more about our history.
Our research and educational facilities
Trapezing Trees
Article by Michele Walfred, Tracy Wootten and Jeremy Wayman Video by Michele Walfred
When people need a large tree removed or pruned on their property, they often encounter sticker shock. It’s expensive, and therefore tempting, to take on the towering tree task themselves.
Stop. It is not a DIY project. Put away the ladder and call in a pro! Scaling up a towering oak, maple, sycamore, or elm tree and doing so safely, and removing or pruning without incident, is an art form best left to the experts.
Montage of Extension Staff in Action in Delaware: youtube.com/watch?v=UHPYhBIWRj0
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Message to Farmers: You are not alone
June 06, 2025 | Article and Photos by Michele WalfredLinking Aquaculture and Agriculture to RIsk Management Resources In 1977, on his family farm in Sussex County, Don Clifton, 19, discovered his younger brother David, 16, had suffered a fatal agricultural accident with a silage wagon. Clifton faced the unimaginable task of delivering that news to his father. Clifton now serves as Delaware’s Secretary of Agriculture and recalled that life-changing moment before a large audience attending Delaware’s first Aquaculture and Agriculture Health and Vitality Forum. -
Drug Effects on The Human Brain
June 05, 2025 | Written by Lindsay Hughes, 4-H Youth Development Extension AgentWhat if a single choice could hijack your brain’s wiring, rewriting your behavior, judgment, and even your ability to survive? The human brain is an essential organ in the body, responsible for everything from regulating bodily functions to thinking, breathing, and influencing behavior. It is made up of billions of cells called neurons, which are organized into circuits and networks that work together as a team. These neurons control the flow of information. -
The Cost of Chronic Disease
May 23, 2025 | Written by Nancy Mears, Sussex County Extension Agent – Health & Well-beingChronic diseases dominate US healthcare costs, especially in Delaware, where the aging population and high obesity rates exacerbate the issue. Delaware’s 65+ population is projected to grow by 65% from 2015 to 2050. From 2016-2023, chronic diseases cost the State of Delaware $135 billion. Nationally 1 in 5 people live in a rural community, where there are more significant health disparities as compared to those living in urban areas. Poor health places a strain on the nation’s resources.
Upcoming Events
History of the Agriculture Research Center in Georgetown
A Delaware General Assembly act provided the establishment of an agricultural substation for southern Delaware. The first structure at the new "Substation" opened in 1942, which is still in use — now as storage space.
A more thorough, published history written by former Extension specialist and former Delaware Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Kee, is now available in the fall of 2019.