While NC State Extension helps generate more than $2 billion in economic impact for North Carolina each year, our impact across the state stems from a vast network of friends and partners — like you.

Thanks largely to your support, we maintain a pipeline of knowledge and innovation unlike anything else in the state, including 101 local centers, more than 1,000 experts, hundreds of websites and over 25,000 educational programs. So it was both humbling and a validation of our work when Our State, a renowned North Carolina magazine with over 1 million monthly readers, approached us about a broad series of stories for their May 2023 issue.

 
The resulting features, shared below, highlight the scale and scope of Extension’s value to communities across North Carolina. We hope you feel as much excitement and ownership in this as we do, because your support is what makes these vital programs possible.

From Murphy to Manteo, all of us with NC State Extension wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing partnership and support — enjoy the issue!

~RichB

Richard Bonanno
Director, NC State Extension

Extension Features in Our State Magazine

(View Full May 2023 Issue)

• From Soup to Knots (View PDF)
  Local Extension experts preserve cherished recipes and introduce kids to the thrill of summer camp — and that’s just a taste of what they provide to their communities.
• A Pole Bean Revival in Ashe County (View PDF)
  An Extension agent and several optimistic farmers are helping bring back a crop that was thought to be extinct.
• North Carolina’s Agent ‘Cue (View PDF)
  There is no shortage of barbecue experts in our state, but only one hosts the NC State BBQ Camp.
• Raleigh’s Temple of Blooms (View PDF)
  The director of NC State’s JC Raulston Arboretum is North Carolina’s Indiana Jones of plants. He travels to some of the world’s most remote locations, braving treacherous landscapes and dangerous beasts in search of rare species to bring back to his shrine of flora.
• North Carolina’s New Breed of Beer (View PDF)
  Thanks to researchers with NC State Extension, North Carolinians can now enjoy beer made with local hops, ushering in a new era for the farm-to-glass movement.
• Farmer 911: Tropical Storm Fred (View PDF)
  In August 2021, Tropical Storm Fred devastated a farming community in Haywood County. Extension responded with resources tailored to its residents’ needs.
• The Recipe Keeper of Eastern North Carolina (View PDF)
  In Lenoir County, one Extension expert has made it her life’s work to rescue the region’s rich food traditions from obscurity — including some of her own family’s recipes.
• Where the Wild Campers Are (View PDF)
  At a 4-H camp in Rockingham County, children from all walks of life learn how to live together on the land, build teamwork skills, take on leadership roles and forge lifelong friendships.
• Bloom Where You’re Planted in Durham (View PDF)
  Bright perennials beautify a busy urban gathering place. Leafy vegetables provide sustenance for underserved communities. In Durham County, NC State Extension Master Gardener volunteers are taking their expertise to the streets.
• Beyond the Boundaries (View PDF)
  In the mountains of western North Carolina, Cherokee foodways have endured for centuries, an integral part of the tribe’s identity. Extension works to ensure that those traditions are not lost.
• The Bug Man of Raleigh (View PDF)
  Don’t know whether a creepy-crawly is a friend or foe? Or what’s ailing your azaleas? Extension’s Matt Bertone and his team probably have the answers.

Extension Is Everywhere for North Carolina

From nurturing the next generation of leaders and promoting public health to protecting natural resources and helping farmers feed a growing population, Extension equips individuals, businesses, communities and families with the tools and know-how to overcome some of North Carolina’s grandest challenges.

View Extension Stats and Strengths to learn how NC State Extension and our partners are a driving force for prosperity across North Carolina.