Media Note: Pictures are available online at Flickr. 

Harrington, Del. (January 10, 2023) – During the first day of Delaware Ag Week, the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Management Program Administrator Chris Brosch presented three honorees with the 2022 Delaware Environmental Stewardship Awards.

Since 2001, the Delaware Nutrient Management Commission has awarded deserving farmers the title of Delaware Environmental Steward, except for 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic. To qualify, nominees must have demonstrated efforts above and beyond the norm in areas of nutrient and stormwater management, wildlife conservation, and professional and civic engagement.

For the first time in the history of the award, members of allied industry meeting these requirements were honored with the Delaware Environmental Stewardship Award.

During the late winter through mid-summer of 2022, Delmarva experienced a significant outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), which posed a major threat to the continued viability of the poultry industry. For this reason, the Delaware Nutrient Management Commission chose to honor partners in the private sector who lent a significant helping hand in containing and eradicating HPAI from Delmarva. Even in an emergency response, the honorees demonstrated their commitment to the environmental stewardship of Delmarva.

The 2022 Environmental Stewardship Award recipients are:
• Miller Environmental Group, Inc. of Dover, DE
• Containment Control, Inc. of North Carolina
• Eastern Shore Forest Products, Inc. of Salisbury, MD

Past recipients of the Environmental Stewardship Award include Howell and Margo Wallace (2019); John and Linda Brown (2018); Randy and Jordan McCloskey (2017); Ted Layton and Scott Willey (2016); Chris Lesniowski of Marydel (2015); Georgie Cartanza of Little Creek (2014); Connie Carmean of Laurel (2013); Marilyn and Lee Ellers, Sparrow’s Song Farm, Houston (2012); Douglas and Deborah Vanderwende, Locust Grove Farm, Greenwood (2011); Frank Robinson and family, Dead Broke Farm, Harrington (2010); Mary Bryan, Laurel (2009); Joe Bauer, Harrington (2008); Scott Peterman, Milford (2007); and Guy and Nancy Phillips, Georgetown (2006).

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DOVER, Del. (October 10, 2022) — Members of the Delaware Nutrient Management Commission approved an emergency order during their October 4 meeting that will allow for a 180-day extension for properly staged poultry litter in Delaware crop fields beginning on November 1.

Many Delaware farms apply poultry litter, a natural fertilizer rich in nutrients and micronutrients, to their fields before planting season to help promote soil health and produce strong, healthy crops. When the Delaware Department of Agriculture issued control orders this past spring restricting the movement and spreading of poultry litter the control orders issued this past Spring due to an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) confirmed in New Castle and Kent counties, the order caused hardships for some farmers.

Effective November 1, farmers can begin properly staging poultry litter in the fields where it will be used next spring. Once the 180-day extension expires, the normal 90-day regulation will resume, resulting in a deadline for spreading field staged poultry litter of July 29, 2023, for poultry litter stacked on or before April 30, 2023.

To be considered properly staged, litter must be stacked in six-foot tall “windrows” or pyramids so that the cross-section of the pile is a triangle, ensuring that any rainwater will be shed rather than infiltrate the pile or pool around it. This is best accomplished with a loader bucket, following delivery to the field by a dump truck or trailer.

The goal of the emergency order is to assist producers in preparing and preventing any further spread of HPAI due to continued detections in the wild bird population and, most recently, confirmation of the virus in two backyard flocks in Kent County, Delaware.

Fall staging litter in preparation for the Spring 2023 application will help reduce litter movement when HPAI is expected to be the highest risk for Delaware poultry.

Avian influenza is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads quickly among birds through nasal and eye secretions and manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers. This virus affects poultry, like chickens, ducks, turkeys, and wild bird species, such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors.

The 2022 epidemiological curve of infections in the United States dropped dramatically from June through July. This emergency order allows farmers to make the most bio-secure decisions concerning utilizing litter to improve soil fertility for the 2023 season.

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Photos are available for media use on Flickr.

Harrington, Del. – Poultry farmers John and Linda Brown were recognized during Delaware Ag Week for their efforts to improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff with the 2018 Delaware Environmental Stewardship Award.

The Brown’s L&J Farm is located in Harrington, where they raise chickens for Perdue Farm’s

Coleman Organic division. Certified organic, the poultry houses have an attached area where the birds can spend the daylight hours and the houses are equipped with windows to let in natural light. Being environmentally friendly, the Browns harness solar energy to power the farm and utilize an electric car; woods provide a barrier against noise and odors; runoff is treated by a series of storm-water ponds; and all the houses and the manure shed have concrete pads, which are kept very clean. L&J Farm is a perfect example of a beautiful, neighbor-friendly farm.

The Environmental Stewardship Awards were presented Monday to the Browns and three other runner-ups by Nutrient Management Administrator Chris Brosch. Each year, the Commission partners with Delaware’s poultry integrators to sponsor the Environmental Stewardship Awards.

“Each of the companies nominates a Delaware poultry grower that excels in preserving and enhancing environmental quality on their farms,” Brosch said. “These farmers practice excellent manure management, proper composting of mortalities and accurate record keeping. They also use enhanced conservation practices on the farm as a whole.”

Runners-up were:

• Chad and Joanna Carpenter of East Piney Grove Farm have been raising chickens since 2010. The couple grows for Mountaire Farms, with a capacity of 300,000 birds. The Carpenters have installed heavy use pads, fenced off the composter to keep vultures and foxes away from the composted mortalities and redesigned the drainage swales to prevent runoff from going into nearby tax ditches. They also have planted a vegetative buffer of trees to help with odors.
• Ken and Nicole Wilkins of Felton, grow for Amick on a newer, picture-perfect farm that they named the “Funny Farm.” In 2015, they built three poultry houses on their homestead, along with a manure shed and channel composter. The storm water engineering includes a large storm-water pond to treat runoff from the production area. A screen of trees has been planted to assist in containing odors. Fly traps are used throughout the farm and near the composter to reduce these pests.
• Carol Johnson of Bridgeville, who grows for Allen Harim, raises 90,000 chickens and tills twenty-five acres on Loockerman Farm. The farm has two manure structures, has heavy use pads installed on the poultry houses, and utilizes solar energy to help power the poultry operation. In addition, cover crops are utilized as a conservation practice on the cropland. Ms. Johnson has been a 4-H leader for more than 25 years.

The Browns will receive $1,000, a plaque and sign for their farm. The runners-up will receive $500, plaques and signs.

Past recipients of the Environmental Stewardship Award include: Randy and Jordan McCloskey (2017); Ted Layton and Scott Willey (2016); Chris Lesniowski of Marydel (2015); Georgie Cartanza of Little Creek (2014); Connie Carmean of Laurel (2013); Marilyn and Lee Ellers, Sparrow’s Song Farm, Houston (2012); Douglas and Deborah Vanderwende, Locust Grove Farm, Greenwood (2011); Frank Robinson and family, Dead Broke Farm, Harrington (2010); Mary Bryan, Laurel (2009); Joe Bauer, Harrington (2008); Scott Peterman, Milford (2007); and Guy and Nancy Phillips, Georgetown (2006).

The awards are supported by Allen Harim Foods, Amick Farms, Mountaire Farms and Perdue Farms.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, (302) 698-4542, Stacey.Hofmann@delaware.gov