Carvel Research and Education Center
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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New Castle County Extension to relocate
March 27, 2026 | Written by: Katie Peikes, Communications SpecialistThe New Castle County location of University of Delaware Cooperative Extension will relocate in April. The team anticipates its new home, right on the University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources campus, will help staff better serve the public. -
University of Delaware program helps families manage diabetes through healthy cooking
March 26, 2026 | Written by: Nicole Richter, Coast TVHealthy cooking can feel overwhelming, especially for families managing diabetes. A program through the University of Delaware is working to change that by teaching participants how to prepare nutritious meals without sacrificing flavor. -
Delaware farmers feel economic strain despite federal assistance
March 11, 2026 | Written by: by Maggie Reynolds from Spotlight DelawareCrop farmers make up a sizable portion of Delaware’s farming population and provide key corn and soybean products to the state’s poultry industry. Despite some recent stop-gap federal funding, higher input costs and lower prices have put a strain on Delaware farmers’ financial situation, making the future of their industry uncertain.
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.