Wilmington, DE – The Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH) recently announced Marcia Stephenson as its new Director of Advancement. Stephenson, who will officially assume the role on October 1, has been with DCH for the past 16 years, most recently in the role of Member Donor Relations Manager. “We are thrilled to announce that Marcia Stephenson will be stepping into this vitally important role for the organization,” said Vikram Krishnamurthy, DCH’s Executive Director. “Marcia has long been one of the leading advocates for our mission. She is perfectly positioned with her knowledge of the organization and passion for her work to lead DCH’s fundraising efforts, given her talents and interests in philanthropic relationships, data-driven decisions, best practices, and the highest ethical standards.” As Member Donor Relations Manager, Stephenson has grown DCH’s membership and donor base and increased volunteer involvement throughout all aspects of the organization while managing major fundraising drives, including our Annual Appeals, and coordinating large-scale aspects of our Rare Plant Auction®. A well-known public face for the organization, she organizes trips and garden tours, obtains artists for DCH’s art gallery, manages facility rentals, and coordinated the Wilmington City Gardens Contest. Stephenson holds a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture with a minor in Art from the University of Delaware. Prior to moving to Delaware to return to school, she lived in Boston, Massachusetts where she worked as a sales representative for a film manufacturer in the printing industry. While living in Boston, she became interested in plants, gardening, and community beautification and cofounded the Evening Garden Club of West Roxbury, which began implementing community projects, garden tours, and speaking engagements. Enlightened by her garden club experience, Stephenson moved to Delaware to pursue her horticulture degree. She is married, has a stepdaughter and two Maine Coon cats, and tends a delightful garden around their home.

Delaware Agriculture Week returns to the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington, starting on Monday, Jan. 14 and running through Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019. A 14-year tradition, Delaware Ag Week draws thousands of attendees — farmers, growers, producers, crop advisors, extension agents and allied agriculture industries from across the Mid-Atlantic region.  

Delaware Ag Week is sponsored by the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, Delaware State University Cooperative Extension and the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

The four-day event covers a wide array of topics including presentations by the Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association of Delaware (FVGAD) on small fruits, fresh market and processing vegetables. Additional sessions include small flock and commercial poultry, small ruminants, grain crops, hay and pasture, beef cattle, precision agriculture, risk management, and a session on soil health and fertility.

Free health screenings are offered each day.

In addition to the events held in Harrington, the Delaware Urban Farm and Food Coalition (DUFFC) will host a session "Local Foods Grow Healthy Communities: An Evening with Ben Flanner, Brooklyn Grange.” on Thursday, Jan. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Delaware Center for Horticulture in Wilmington. Networking and refreshments will begin at 5:30 p.m. General admission fee is $15 and registration is required. For more information, visit the Delaware Center for Horticulture website, or contact Carrie Murphy at (302) 831-2506.

The sessions are taught by Cooperative Extension agents and specialists from UD, as well as from neighboring institutions and leading agriculture industry experts. A detailed agenda and credits offered can be found on the Delaware Ag Week website.