Jake Browning
reporter@thefranklinpress.com
Macon County Cooperative Extension director Alan Durden will retire at the end of this month, capping a 30-year career devoted not just to agriculture but to improving the overall quality of life here.
In 1989, Durden was growing mushrooms for the Campbell Soup Company. He had always loved horticulture, the practice of gardening on a small scale, and he liked his job with Campbell, but it kept him all the way in Texas, far from his family in Georgia. When he saw an opportunity open up in Franklin to work as an extension director, he was eager to take a position where he could help others pursue their own horticultural passions.
“We don’t have any secrets here,” Durden said. “With everything that we know, we want to put it out for Macon County residents so that they can make the most of it.”
The tomato was king in Macon County in the ’80s and ’90s. Because tomato plants grow well in the mountains, about a dozen farmers were able to fill more 100 acres of land with tomatoes, making the fruit the first viable non-tobacco cash crop in the region.
To help maintain the booming industry, the extension oversaw a tissue-sampling program for tomato growers to help them selectively grow better crops and weed out diseases. Durden said the program was one of the largest of its kind at the time, and he looks back on it as one of the biggest accomplishments of his career.
“We relied on the extension,” said Joe Deal, whose farm did and still does produce a strong share of the tomatoes in Macon County. “When I was growing up, seeing Alan down at the farm was a common occurrence. He was always willing to come down and help us figure out what the problem was.”
Durden also took an interest in educating new gardeners. He oversaw the establishment of the Macon County Community Garden, as well as the first Master Gardener program in North Carolina west of Asheville. The 4H Club was here well before he came along, but during his time the club expanded significantly. Shooting sports have flourished particularly well, and now the club has airsoft and archery teams competing at the state level.
Durden said 4H is one of the most important programs for reaching people who aren’t aware of other extension services.
“Some people wouldn’t even know about the extension if they didn’t know about 4H,” he said. “4H is the gateway to everything else.”
Durden’s dedication to the job hasn’t gone unrecognized. At last week’s Community Development Council banquet, the CDC, Macon County commissioners and the extension staff all surprised Durden at the end of the leadership awards for their community clubs with a plaque and a Macon County flag.
This was also where Durden made his retirement public, and the award presenters had nothing but praise for his service to the county.
“Alan has given the best years of his life to Macon County,” said county manager Derek Roland. “Alan is always so excited about the cooperative extension and what this office does and what these communities do. That resonates with his staff, and you can feel it every time you walk in the door.”
The job of an extension director is more like 100 different jobs. As much as he loves what he does, Durden said the position has been consuming and that he’s looking forward to catching up on the little things in life that he’s been missing. That’s understandable after 30 years of service, but the extension staff is still going to need some time to adjust.
“He’s just a pleasure to work with,” said extension administrative assistant Debbie Hunter. “So many years of knowledge are about to walk out that door.”
Durden said that things will be fine going forward, though. No matter who comes in next, the extension will remain a vital resource for growers and community clubs all over the county, and its doors will always be open to those in need.
“If we can help you with anything, please just give us a call,” Durden said. “We’re here to give you the information that will help better your life.”
Durden will retire on Thursday, Oct. 31. The next director will be hired through N.C. State University, which oversees the extension program.