DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Department of Agriculture is offering two one-day courses in March to help farmers growing fruits and vegetables comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.

“About 1 in 6 Americans gets sick each year from foodborne illness,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “The Food Safety Modernization Act is a proactive approach to prevent these foodborne illnesses by strengthening the food supply. These training sessions will help farmers to recognize and eliminate risks, learn how to implement different safety practices, and allow them to connect with experts on developing their farm food safety plan. We want to help Delaware farmers meet the requirements of the Produce Safety Rule so that consumers know they are purchasing the freshest, highest quality fruits and vegetables that are safe to eat.”

Fruit and vegetable growers who want to learn about produce safety, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), how to begin development on a food safety plan and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming Delaware FSMA: Produce Safety Rule Training and Produce Safety Updates workshops:

>>March 3, Delaware Department of Agriculture, 2320 South DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901

>>March 22, University of Delaware Carvel Research & Education Center, 16483 County Seat Highway, Georgetown, DE, 19947

Each workshop is from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided and registration is free, courtesy of the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

Register online, by emailing Anna Wicks at anna.wicks@delaware.gov, or by phone at 302-698-4582.

The course will focus on the Produce Safety Alliance curriculum which is required by the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. This one day course will provide a foundation on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements, and information on how to develop a farm food safety plan. Participants will complete coursework on produce safety; worker health, hygiene, and training; soil amendments; wildlife, domesticated animals, and land use; agricultural water; and postharvest handling and sanitation.

The Produce Safety Alliance curriculum satisfies the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in §122.22(c) that ‘At least one supervisor from the farm must complete food safety training at least equivalent to the standardized curriculum recognized by the FDA.’ After attending the entire course, participants will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) that verifies they have completed the training course. To receive an AFDO certificate, a participant must be present for the entire training and submit the entire paperwork.

Funding for this training session was made possible, in part, by the Food and Drug Administration through grant PAR-16-137. The views expressed in written materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health & Human Services; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, 302-698-4542, stacey.hofmann@delaware.gov

Media: Photographs are available for use on Flickr.

DOVER, Del. – Delaware celebrated the second highest farmers’ market season with more than $3 million dollars in sales in 2017. Both residents and visitors of the state continue to buy locally because of the fresh, high quality products that Delaware’s farm families grow.

“These numbers are a reflection of the positive relationship that Delaware residents and those visiting our state have with our family farmers,” said Secretary Michael T. Scuse. “Consumers know food purchased at our farmers’ market are grown locally, picked fresh, and delivered that day by the farm. Not only do they have the opportunity to learn how their food is grown directly from Delaware farmers, but they are able to make a positive impact on the economy by keeping it local.”

There were 21 community-run farmers’ markets in Delaware in 2017. These markets are economic drivers for the state’s agricultural industry generating direct sales of $3,004,174 in 2017. Fresh produce made up 53 percent of total sales, with the remainder coming from products such as meats, cheeses, jellies, breads, salsa, eggs, or honey.

“Farmers’ markets play an important role in providing Delaware grown fruits, vegetables, and value-added products to both rural and urban communities across our state,” said Delaware Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Stacey Hofmann. “We are starting to see an important change in the attendance at farmers’ markets – and that is more and more children are attending with adults. This is exciting because research shows if children are able to select their fruits and vegetables, then they are more likely to eat them. Learning to making healthy choices now, with the help of role models, will encourage a lifetime of healthy eating.”

In 2017, there were 13 markets that participated in the Women, Infants, and Children Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. There were 12 markets that participated in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). These programs help expand access for low-income residents to be able to purchase fresh local produce at Delaware farmers’ markets.

Delaware 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.

The 2018 market season will begin in April; most markets start their operations in May, June and July. A list of the 2017 markets is online at Delaware’s Buy Local Guide, de.gov/buylocal, and will be updated in late March for 2018.

Farmers and others interested in becoming a vendor, or community groups interested in starting a local market, can contact Department of Agriculture at (302) 698-4542 or by email at dda.marketing@delaware.gov.

Delaware Farmers’ Market Sales:
2017: $3,004,174
2016: $2,901,081
2015: $3,029,831
2014: $2,636,727
2013: $2,107,265
2012: $1,960,357
2011: $1,794,265
2010: $1,330,617
2009: $1,121,024
2008: $800,679
2007: $289,706

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, 302-698-4542, stacey.hofmann@delaware.gov

DOVER– The Delaware Forest Service is now accepting entries for its annual Arbor Day Poster Contest for grades K to 5—open to all public, private, and home school students. For the first time, this year’s theme is “Trees are Terrific…and Perfect for Pollinators!” The contest can teach students about the important role of trees in the well-being of both people and pollinators, such as bees.

In Delaware, Arbor Day is designated as the last Friday in April (April 27, 2018). Arbor Day was started in Nebraska in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton as an occasion to both celebrate and encourage the planting of trees.

• • 2018 Perfect for Pollinators (PDF)
  • 2018 Arbor Day Poster Contest rules (PDF)
  • Teacher Resources (Google Drive) at https://goo.gl/DcmMnj

Delaware communities can learn how to successfully apply for a 2018 urban forestry grant at an upcoming workshop at the Delaware Department of Agriculture on February 13 from 6 to 8 p.m.

DOVER – The Delaware Forest Service is holding an “Urban and Community Forestry Grant Workshop” on Tuesday, February 13, from 6 to 8 p.m.  at the Delaware Department of Agriculture, 2320 South DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901, (302) 698-4578. The event is free and open to the public, however, advance registration is required.

Attendees can sign up at this link: Urban and Community Forestry Grant Workshop Registration
Registration Contact: Sam Seo, Delaware Center for Horticulture, 658-6262, extension 112.

Urban forestry director Kesha Braunskill and The Delaware Center for Horticulture’s Sam Seo will discuss the 2018 urban and community grant program. All municipalities, homeowner associations, and certified 501 (c)(3) non-profit organizations can apply. Up to $40,000 in grants for tree planting, tree care, and tree management projects on publicly owned lands is available. Grants range from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $5,000 in one of two project categories: tree planting or tree management. All applications require a 50-50 cost-share match in either cash or in-kind services such as volunteer hours.

Applications are limited to one project in one project category and will be judged on a competitive basis by a grant committee of the Delaware Community Forestry Council. All projects must be performed on public lands within the community. Priority is given to first time applicants, Tree Friendly Communities, and cities or towns that have passed an Urban Tree Canopy Goal Resolution.

The grant workshop will discuss the 2018 urban grant guidelines and requirements, and include a question and answer session. Q and A can include: how to work with arborists and tree care contractors, and how to prepare a successful application.

For more information about the urban grant program, contact:
Kesha Braunskill, Delaware Forest Service (DFS) Urban Forestry Administrator
Office: (302) 698-4578, Kesha.Braunskill@delaware.gov

DOVER – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) have proposed new regulations expanding the scope of legal possession of firearms within Delaware’s state parks, state wildlife areas and state forests. Both agencies submitted the proposed regulations for publication in the Feb. 1 Monthly Register in response to a Dec. 7, 2017 Delaware Supreme Court decision that overturned a Superior Court ruling and expanded the scope of visitors’ ability to possess firearms in Delaware’s state parks under DNREC’s authority and state forests which are under the DDA’s jurisdiction.

Following the Court’s decision to invalidate existing regulations limiting firearms in those state lands, DNREC and DDA earlier issued interim regulations which went into effect on Dec. 26, 2017. The interim regulations, issued by Orders of the DNREC and DDA Secretaries, respect the State Constitutional provisions on firearms cited by the Supreme Court in its ruling, by implementing the State’s interest in ensuring public safety in a less restrictive manner. Interim regulations are effective for 120 days, with the possibility of a 60-day extension, for a total of 180 days before new regulations must be promulgated.

The proposed regulations by DNREC and DDA, pursuant to the Supreme Court ruling, state that visitors may legally possess firearms, as allowed by Delaware law, in state parks, wildlife areas and forests unless they are prohibited by law due to a past conviction for a violent crime, active Protection from Abuse Order, or mental health commitment. This would include, for example, trails, unguarded beaches, parking lots, and vehicles. The proposed regulations prohibit firearms only in certain public facilities and designated areas such as park offices, visitor centers, nature centers, bathhouses, stadiums and facilities while used for events, museums, zoos, stables, educational facilities, dormitories, playgrounds, camping areas, swimming pools, guarded beaches, and water parks. Proposed regulations call for these designated areas to be identified by appropriate signage.

The proposed regulations allow holders of valid Delaware concealed-carry permits to carry within parks, including designated areas, provided only that the permit be produced upon request. The regulations would further allow active-duty law and qualified retired law enforcement officers to carry anywhere within the parks and other areas affected by Supreme Court decision. The proposed regulations can be found on the DNREC website.

A public hearing on the proposed regulations will be held March 12 at 6 p.m. in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Public workshops on the proposed regulations will be held in February in all three counties in advance of the March 12 public hearing. The dates, times and locations of the workshops are:

• New Castle County: Thursday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m., DNREC offices, 391 Lukens Drive, New Castle, DE 19720
• Kent County: Tuesday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m., DNREC R&R Auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901
• Sussex County: Thursday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m., Sussex Central High School Auditorium, 26026 Patriots Way, Georgetown, DE 19947

Vol. 48, No. 10

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

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