A long-cherished community vision moved closer to reality on Monday, November 3rd, with the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Camden County Extension Center. Located at 123 Treasure Point Road in Camden, the facility is poised to significantly strengthen N.C. Cooperative Extension’s ability to serve Camden County citizens in critical areas like agriculture, youth development, and family & consumer sciences.
The celebratory event drew a wide array of community supporters, including Extension volunteers, local farmers, 4-H advocates, all members of the Camden County Board of Commissioners, and the County Manager. Representatives from the construction firm, AR Chesson, and the architectural firm, Cahoon & Kasten, were also in attendance.
The ceremony particularly recognized Ms. Susan Coleman, whose generous donation of approximately four acres of land made the project possible. This parcel, combined with an adjoining 23 acres, has functioned as a hub for 4-H youth programming since 1978. Ms. Coleman recalled her family’s long commitment to the property, noting the new building honors her late father's wishes to utilize the land for Cooperative Extension.
The new center is vital for local services. It will provide a dedicated, air-conditioned educational programming space, replacing a previous structure that was lost to fire in 2006. The new building will enhance Extension’s ability to serve Camden County through expanded programming including youth development opportunities, classes crucial to the county’s approximately $65 million-a-year agriculture industry, and will feature a demonstration kitchen for food and nutrition education.
County leaders passionately underscored the project’s deep community value.
Austin Brown, Camden County Extension Director, expressed profound gratitude: “This has been a dream for many years before I was working here, a lot of people have worked towards this and I am thankful we are at this point.” He continued with a heartfelt acknowledgment: “I want to say how thankful I am for the support from county commissioners & local government, NC State Extension, and from the bottom of my heart the Coleman family and Ms. Susan Coleman, we wouldn’t be here today without her.”
Camden County Manager, Erin Burke, highlighted the facility’s symbolic importance: “This building represents more than bricks and mortar for our community, it’s a symbol of partnership, progress, and promise for our future.” David Monks, Associate Dean and Director of NC State Extension, reinforced the long-term impact, noting that, “Investments like this affect generations.”
N.C. Cooperative Extension is a strategic partnership supported by NC State University, N.C. A&T State University, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), and local governments statewide.
The new N.C. Cooperative Extension, Camden County Center is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026.
