(Smyrna) – The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) and Delaware State Police advise residents that a test of the Salem/Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations on-site alert and notification system will be conducted on Tuesday, December 30, 2014.  The only sirens to be tested are those located on the grounds of the Salem/Hope Creek (New Jersey) plants.

While the 37 sirens within the ten-mile radius are not part of the test, depending upon weather conditions residents may hear them.  The on-site siren test is scheduled for 2:00pm, and will last for approximately three minutes.

Photos are available for media use on Flickr.

DOVER – Delaware farmers’ markets had a record $2.6 million sales season, double that of just five years ago, thanks to dramatically increasing interest in local food and farm-fresh products, the Delaware Department of Agriculture announced today.

“This record-setting season is a reflection of Delaware’s thriving local food movement,” said Governor Jack Markell. “Farmers’ markets help strengthen our neighborhoods and increase economic opportunity. Our farmers, community leaders and market organizers deserve congratulations for a job well-done and thanks for their hard work to keep Delaware’s agriculture and food sector moving forward.”

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee said the markets are a great example of public-private partnerships. “Over the last few years, we have seen an incredible rise in people wanting to eat healthy and buy fresh, local foods for themselves and their children,” Kee said. “Our farmers and producers are working to meet that demand by selling some of the best fresh produce, meats, cheeses and honey that any state can offer. Our farmers’ markets also connect the people who eat with the people who grow their food, fostering conversations and friendships that can last a lifetime.”

Shoppers bought more fresh produce and other goods from farmers’ markets than ever before in 2014. Sales from all 27 First State community-run farmers’ markets totaled $2,636,727, up more than $520,000 from 2013. Sales have increased more than eightfold since the Department of Agriculture began tracking them in 2007.

Fresh produce made up 59 percent of the total sales in 2014, with the remainder coming from value-added products such as meats, cheeses, jellies, breads, salsa, eggs or honey.

Delaware’s farmers’ markets are all run at the local level, by municipalities, business groups, farmers or market associations, with the Department of Agriculture providing support and marketing assistance.

Use of the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card system is growing steadily, allowing families to purchase local produce and food items as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Five markets offered EBT transactions during 2014, for $5,902 in sales. Several other markets are planning to expand into the program in 2015.

The 2015 market season will begin in April; most markets start their operations in May, June and July. There are currently two winter markets open for the season, in Millsboro and Delaware City. A list of the markets is online at Delaware’s Buy Local Guide, de.gov/buylocal.

Farmers and others interested in becoming a vendor, or community groups interested in starting a local market, can contact Department of Agriculture marketing specialist David Smith at (302) 698-4522 or davidm.smith@delaware.gov.

Delaware Farmers’ Market Sales Trends
2007:  $289,706
2008:  $800,679
2009:  $1,121,024
2010:  $1,330,617
2011:  $1,794,265
2012:  $1,960,357
2013:  $2,107,265
2014:  $2,636,727

# # #

Media contact:
Dan Shortridge
Chief of Community Relations
Delaware Department of Agriculture
302-698-4520
daniel.shortridge@delaware.gov

In 1814 the War of 1812 was entering into its second full year. During the previous year the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware Valley region experienced active naval campaigning and a seaborne blockade. On Saturday, January 3, at 10:30 a.m. historian Charles (Chuck) Fithian will visit the Delaware Public Archives to present a program on this little known period of Delaware history. Delawareans were active participants in these events and directly experienced the effects of naval irregular warfare. In 1814, they would continue to aid in the national defense, and would respond to new threats brought about by this destructive war.

Mr. Fithian, a resident of Dover, is an historical archaeologist who has directed the research and conservation of the DeBraak and its large associated collection. With a concentration in colonial, military and naval history, Fithian is a graduate of Wesley College and Salisbury University, and has recently retired from the State of Delaware after more than 27 years of service. He has also conducted extensive research on 17th century Delaware, the Delaware Regiment during the American Revolution, and the War of 1812.

The program is free to the public and will last approximately one hour.  No reservations are required.  For more information, contact Katelyn Fair (302) 744-5016 or e-mail katelyn.fair@delaware.gov.

For information about the Delaware Public Archives, please visit the website at  http://archives.delaware.gov. You can also like the Archives Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/DelawarePublicArchives), follow the Archives on Twitter (@DEPublicArchive) and read the Archives blog (http://archives.blogs.delaware.gov/) to learn more about events and other items of interest at the Archives.

The Delaware Public Archives is located at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard North in Dover. The Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Room is open to the public Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. On the second Saturday of every month the research room is open from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

The Delaware Public Archives (DPA, archives.delaware.gov), an agency of the State of Delaware, is one of the oldest public archives programs in the United States. DPA serves the citizens of Delaware by identifying, collecting, and preserving public records of enduring historical and evidential value; ensuring access to public records for present and future generations; and advising and educating interested parties in the creation, management, use, and preservation of public records.

DOVER – Delaware authorities are urging poultry and bird owners to be vigilant in the wake of avian influenza cases reported in Oregon and Washington state.

“Though it’s far away at the moment, we know that avian influenza can spread rapidly,” said Delaware State Veterinarian Dr. Heather Hirst, who heads the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Poultry and Animal Health Section. “Poultry growers and owners of backyard flocks can do their part by taking proper biosecurity precautions to prevent against the spread of the disease.”

There are no immediate public health concerns due to the West Coast cases, and avian influenza does not affect poultry meat or egg products, which remain safe to eat. Delaware’s commercial poultry industry has a strong and active avian influenza surveillance program, and works in close contact with the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the University of Delaware, and other partners.

Avian influenza spreads bird-to-bird through saliva, feces, and other bodily fluids. Since many species of wild waterfowl can carry and shed influenza virus in feces without showing any signs of illness, it is extremely important to make a strong effort to keep domestic birds separated from wild waterfowl and to keep domestic birds off waterways where wild waterbirds live.

“Low pathogenic forms of avian influenza naturally occur in wild birds such as waterfowl, shorebirds and gulls, and in most cases cause no signs of infection or only mild symptoms,” said Rob Hossler, Wildlife Administrator for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. “However, when domestic species and wildlife intermix, occasionally a high pathogenic form can develop which can cause increased mortality to one or both of the groups.”

While the Washington and Oregon strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has not been found in commercial poultry in the United States, Hirst said its detection in a backyard poultry flock and captive gyrfalcons on the West Coast makes monitoring of backyard flocks and other birds extremely important.

“All bird or poultry owners can implement basic biosecurity steps to keep their flocks healthy and safe,” Hirst said. “Reporting sick or dead birds is especially critical to keeping avian influenza from spreading.”

Biosecurity measures recommended by the Delaware Department of Agriculture include isolating birds from visitor and other birds; keeping shoes, tools, equipment, vehicles and cages clean when entering area where birds live; avoiding tracking wild waterfowl feces into domestic bird living areas; avoiding sharing equipment and tools with neighbors; watching for warning signs of disease; and reporting sick or dead birds.

Sick or dead domestic birds, including backyard flocks and commercial poultry, should be reported to the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Poultry and Animal Health Section, (302) 698-4500 or (800) 282-8685 (Delaware only). To report groups of dead or sick waterfowl, shorebirds or gulls, contact DNREC’s Wildlife Section – Wildlife Disease Program, 302-735-3600.

For more information on backyard bird flock biosecurity, visit http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov/.

# # #

Media contact:
Dan Shortridge
Chief of Community Relations
Delaware Department of Agriculture
302-698-4520
daniel.shortridge@delaware.gov

DOVER, DE  – The Delaware Department of Insurance has successfully completed the requirements for full accreditation from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. NAIC conducts this review of each state insurance department every five years to ensure that all states have enacted appropriate laws and provided necessary financial oversight in accordance with national financial solvency standards.

“The NAIC review process is quite demanding, and I am delighted that we came through it with flying colors,” said Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart. “I am proud of our directors and all our employees for performing so well under pressure.”

The full accreditation program relies on state certification by other states’ regulators, who conduct risk-focused financial surveillance including an on-site examination. The NAIC review team spent a week at DOI’s Dover office, working side-by-side with analysts and supervisors to ensure compliance with national standards. The regulators made sure that the department followed solvency-related model laws, rules and guidelines that have been produced by NAIC members through consensus and collaboration.

The accreditation standards require state insurance departments to have adequate statutory and administrative authority to regulate an insurer’s corporate and financial affairs, and to have the necessary resources to carry out that authority. NAIC also requires each state’s insurance department to undergo a desk audit annually.

For more information, go to http://www.delawareinsurance.gov/mission.shtml​

For more information:  Jerry Grant 302-674-7303