Durham County Extension Service Photograph Collection

In 1908 North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now North Carolina State University) signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States Department of Agriculture to work cooperatively on home demonstration, which aims to introduce to rural communities new or useful methods of doing household tasks and farming, the first such agreement in the nation. It was from this agreement that extension services started in each county in the state. The Durham County Extension Service worked to teach the women of Durham, both black and white, how to properly grow and preserve food as well as other homemaking tasks, to ensure the safety and healthfulness of the citizens of Durham. In addition to supporting home demonstration efforts, county extension agents also worked with farmers to help them keep up on the latest knowledge in agriculture and apply it to their work, including diversifying crops, mechanization of harvest, and pesticide use. In 1948, the extension service started the Curb Market, which featured produce and other foodstuffs produced by local farmers in Durham. It lasted until the mid-1960s and operated out of the Extension building on Foster Street. The extension service continues to operate in Durham today, assisting Durham County farmers in their work and other local citizens with gardening. Visit https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/history/ to learn more about the history of cooperative extension in North Carolina.