Carvel Research and Education Center
Welcome
UD's 347-acre Agriculture Research Experimental Station and Sussex Cooperative Extension
UD Expertise at
Delaware Ag Week
Agronomic Crop Tour Updates
View the recordings!
Riding With Technology
CANR students get hands-on experience with precision agriculture technology
Crop Research
Poultry Health
Research + Extension
Sharing the latest research with our community
Internships
Creating Partnerships
Reaching across programs and institutions for efficient solutions
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
Student Opportunities at the Carvel Center
Carvel Center Teaching Mission: youtube.com/watch?v=H9O6aZHyKms
Our facility continues the strong tradition of serving our agricultural clientele and their families as well as the citizens of Delaware.
Carvel REC director
Upcoming Events
AGRICULTURE MISSIONARY
Gordon Johnson's career in agriculture and with the University of Delaware spans three decades of service, research breakthroughs and many noteworthy recognitions including the 2023 Worrilow Award Read the UDaily article.
Montage of Extension Staff in Action in Delaware: youtube.com/watch?v=UHPYhBIWRj0
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Trade Winds: Understanding the Shifting Landscape of Agricultural Exports
April 19, 2024 | Written by Kofi Britwum, Assistant Professor of Farm Management and Agricultural Economics (britwum@udel.edu)After ten years the drone market has become fairly reliable, but it may still be confusing when deciding what kind of drone you may want. There are several Drought conditions experienced in Brazil in 2023 could mean a lower-than-expected soybean harvest. If you are outside mainstream agricultural production, you may rightly wonder whether this information has anything to do with you. Not directly, perhaps. But, thanks to international trade, events in other parts of the world can have a telling impact on populations thousands of miles away. In the specific case of soybean, given Brazil's recent status as the largest exporter, reduced production levels, in addition to other factors, could present an opportunity for higher prices for American soybean farmers in international markets, which is welcome news. -
Volunteers Helping Delawareans Stay Healthy
April 12, 2024 | Written by Gina Crist, Community Health Specialist and Health and Well-Being Program LeaderDid you know Extension has a group of volunteers that work across the state to support health and wellness? We do! They are called Master Wellness Volunteers, and they are champions in the community for health! Each volunteer has received training and is equipped with knowledge about health equity, youth and adult partnerships, and social determinants of health. Master Wellness Volunteers serve as Walk Club Leaders, Community and School Garden Coordinators, Mindfulness and Well-being Educators and Food Educators - serving the community in a variety of ways. Leaders of walk clubs are there to support individuals looking to improve their wellness through walking while connecting with others. -
Selecting a Drone for Crop Scouting
April 08, 2024 | Written by Jarrod Miller, Agronomy SpecialistAfter ten years the drone market has become fairly reliable, but it may still be confusing when deciding what kind of drone you may want. There are several types of drones available, with the most common being a quadcopter, which could be considered a micro-helicopter with four propellers (Figure 1a). Other options include a fixed-wing (airplane, Figure 1b), hybrid, or coaxial. A hybrid will take off like a quadcopter by flying like an airplane, helping land in tight spaces but using less battery during flight. Both fixed-wing and hybrids are better for field mapping useful in reconstructing whole fields for precision agriculture applications. For field scouting, the best option is the standard quadcopter, particularly as it can hover overtop of the field, stop at the edges, and land on the back of a truck.
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.