Eleven schools are being honored for sportsmanship this week by the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA).  The Dale Farmer State Champions in Sportsmanship Award is presented annually to schools that have demonstrated a strong school community commitment to the educational nature of interscholastic athletics.

The 2022-23 Dale Farmer award is being awarded to the following schools:

Caesar Rodney High School (13)

Caravel Academy (14)

Charter School of Wilmington (10)

Concord High School (14)

Middletown High School (7)

Mt. Pleasant High School (7)

Newark Charter High School (8)

Sanford School (12)

Sussex Tech High School (17)

Talley Middle School (2)

William Penn High School (25)

*The number listed beside each school denotes the total number of times the school has won the award

“Sportsmanship is the cornerstone of athletics.   The DIAA lives by the moto of ‘Education through Athletics’ each and every day.  The Dale Farmer award recognizes those member schools who embrace the DIAA philosophy and incorporate ‘Education through Athletics’ throughout their athletic programs.  I am pleased to recognize those educational institutions that embrace and teach sportsmanship,” DIAA Executive Director David Baylor said.

Thirty-seven different member schools have won the award at least once in its 25-year history. For award consideration, schools must submit a portfolio to DIAA. The DIAA sportsmanship committee reviews the school submissions against a set of standards. The process is demanding and involves the total school community.

“Sportsmanship is essential to a positive interscholastic athletic experience for students, coaches, and fans.  Programs that cherish and value good sportsmanship pave the way for positive and productive adults,” said James Connor, DIAA Sportsmanship Committee chair.  “The life lessons learned on the athletic competition surfaces prepare our youth to make a powerful impact in our world.  Congratulations to all of our award winners!”

The Dale Farmer State Champions in Sportsmanship award is named in recognition and memory of Dale Farmer, the first executive director of the predecessor to DIAA and the 2016 recipient of the DIAA Lifetime Achievement Award.

For media inquiries contact Alison May at Alison.May@doe.k12.de.us. For more information, contact DIAA at 302-857-3365.

DOVER, Del. (July 31, 2023) – Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse presented Katherine “Kitty” Holtz with the Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service to Agriculture during the State Fair Awards presentation on Governor’s Day for her contributions.

Kitty and her husband David have owned and operated Holtz Farms since 1969. Their 250-acre home farm is located near Clayton and Kenton. They grow corn, soybeans, milo, and wheat and, with double cropping, produce about 2,000 acres of crops annually.

“Not only is Kitty working daily operating her farm, but she uses the leadership experience that she has gained over nearly 50 years in Farm Bureau at the county, state, and national level to advocate for Delaware agriculture and our family farms,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse.

Kitty’s leadership roles in Farm Bureau include:
• Kent County Women’s Committee, eight years
• State Women’s Committee President, one year
• Kent County President, two years
• State Farm Bureau President, four years
• Kent County Board of Directors, present

In addition, Kitty Holtz has served as a 4-H assistant leader for ten years.

Holtz said she considers the “current state of affairs facing Delaware agriculture among the most challenging historically. The public demands on farmers to produce food of the quality and quantity necessary while facing growing regulatory challenges will test the mettle of today’s family farmers.”

Kitty is a part of the Craig family, who received an original Delaware land grant from William Penn. Kitty and Dave Holtz have been married for over 54 years. They have three children – Craig, Cherie Bergold, and Brent, who actively farms with his parents.

In 2008, Secretary Scuse developed the Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service to Delaware Agriculture to recognize individuals and families who make significant contributions to Delaware’s agricultural industry.

Past recipients include Michael Parkowski (2022), Vincent Family Farms (2021), Delaware State University Department Chair Dr. Richard Barczewski, Stacey Hofmann, and Jamie Mack (2020); University of Delaware Provost Dr. Robin Morgan (2019); Fifer Orchards (2018); brothers Richard and Keith Carlisle of Greenwood (2017); former MidAtlantic Farm Credit senior vice-president Kenny Bounds (2016); Farm Service Agency official Robin Talley (2015); Schiff Farms of Harrington (2015); farmers Laura Hill of Lewes and Barbara Sapp of Milton (2014); dairy farmer Walter C. Hopkins Sr. of Lewes (2013); then U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Michael Scuse, a former Delaware secretary of agriculture (2012); Delmarva Farmer Senior Editor Bruce Hotchkiss (2012); James Baxter of Georgetown (2011); brothers David, Ed and Robert Baker of Middletown (2010); Bill Vanderwende of Bridgeville (2009); and Ed Kee of Lincoln (2008).

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DOVER, Del. (January 26, 2023) – Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) surveys every agricultural producer across the country and in Puerto Rico to obtain a complete account of the industry, its changes, and emerging trends. Less than 25 percent of Delaware producers have responded to the 2022 Ag Census, which could jeopardize farm policy and decision-making about disaster relief, community planning, technology development, and more.

“We know from the 2017 Ag Census that more than half of Delaware’s farms are smaller than 50 acres. This is important to know when Delawareans are trying to decide if they should participate in the 2022 Ag Census because our agriculture industry is evolving to include more small-scale farms,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “We want all producers to respond, including those in rural communities and those involved in urban agriculture. Whether you grow crops or nursery stock, are a beekeeper, or raise livestock or poultry, your participation helps tell the story of Delaware agriculture.”

Farm operations of all sizes which produced and sold, or typically would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural products in 2022 are included in the Ag Census.

Producers received a survey code with an invitation to respond online at agcounts.usda.gov in November. Anyone who did not respond before should complete their survey online or submit it by mail no later than February 6. Everyone who received the 2022 Census of Agriculture questionnaire is required to return it, even if they are not currently farming. The first few qualifying questions on the form will determine whether completing the entire questionnaire is necessary.

Responding to the Census of Agriculture is required under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113. The same law requires NASS to keep all information confidential, use the data only for statistical purposes, and publish in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation. NASS will release the results of the Ag Census in 2024.

To learn more about the Census of Agriculture, visit https://nass.usda.gov/agcensus.

Photos are available for media use on Flickr.

Harrington, DE – Poultry farmers Randy and Jordan McCloskey were recognized during Delaware Ag Week for their efforts to improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff with the 2017 Delaware Environmental Stewardship Award.

The McCloskey’s farm is located in Houston, where they grow broilers for Allen Harim Foods. On top of the four poultry houses, with a capacity of 136,800 birds per flock, the McCloskey’s farm 500 acres of grain. As part of their efforts to be good environmental stewards, the McCloskey’s have utilized diverse road-side plantings to help reduce dust, control odors, and increase aesthetics; a storm water pond on the farm is fed by seven swales; and they follow a nutrient management plan that utilizes their poultry litter for soil health benefits. When farming is done for the day, both Jordan and Randy serve as ambassadors for the industry speaking with neighbors about the antibiotic-free chickens they raise and debunking myths surrounding the industry.

The Environmental Stewardship Awards were presented Monday to the McCloskey’s and three other runner-ups by Nutrient Management Commission Chairman Bill Vanderwende and Nutrient Management Administrator Chris Brosch.

“Each of the poultry companies nominates a Delaware poultry grower that excels in preserving and enhancing environmental quality on their farms,” Brosch said. “These farmers are great examples of the hard work and dedication that Delaware farmers have in protecting our land and water resources.”

Runners-up were:

•  Josh Parker of Bridgeville who began farming in 2008, grows for Perdue Farms, with a capacity of 100,500 roasters per flock. Parker has planted a diverse assortment of flowering native shrubs and trees as visual buffers and windbreaks. He has planted bald cypress trees in swales between houses to help take up nutrients, while storm water from the production area drains into a farm pond for treatment.
•  Norris and Phyllis West of Laurel, who grow for Mountaire Farms, have six poultry houses with a capacity of 168,000 broilers per flock. The West’s have been raising chickens since 1968. The farm has four modern and well-maintained poultry houses. On the property, the West’s utilize three manure sheds and two composters. They have created a drainage pond and planted the banks in trees as a buffer.
• Brian Kunkowski of Laurel, who grows for Amick, raises 144,000 broilers per flock in his four poultry houses on 32 acres. Along with a manure shed, the storm water engineering includes stone beds along the houses, grass swales draining to a 2.5-acre pond lined with giant trees and a screened drain. Kunkowski also owns horses, but leaves the hayfields un-mowed in the winter so that wildlife can benefit.

The McCloskeys 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 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

DOVER — More than 30 Delaware farmers have Christmas trees available for First State merrymakers this holiday season, with firs, spruces and pines in abundance – and easy to find and buy with the Delaware Fresh mobile app. The app and a related website, de.gov/christmastrees, feature locations, hours and other shopping information.

“It’s great family fun to pick out just the right locally-grown tree for your house,” said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee. “Buying from a Delaware farm is a guarantee to get the freshest tree and support our local tree farmers at the same time.”

Growing Christmas trees is a specialized business in Delaware, with growers selecting particular varieties for attractiveness or other features. It typically takes seven to 10 years to grow a thriving 7-foot-tall First State Christmas tree. This is the busiest time of year for Delaware’s Christmas tree farmers, Kee said, but they work year-round to care for their trees.

The Delaware Fresh app is available free for download on Android, iPhone and Windows 8 phone platforms at https://delaware.gov/apps/.

To pick the right tree, examine it carefully, looking out for these details:

>> The shape and size of a tree will depend on where you plan to place it and the height of the ceiling in your home. Some people want a more slender tree like a fir, while others like a larger, fuller tree like a spruce, and still others prefer a fuller, bushier tree like a pine.

>> Although most people prefer a well-rounded and shapely tree, you may find it more practical and economical to buy one that is somewhat flat or sparsely branched in one side, so that it fits into a corner or against a wall.

>> While “choose-and-cut” purchasers gain in popularity, families that buy their trees from retail lots can also check for freshness. They can test cut trees by bending needles to check resilience (if it springs back into position, the tree is fresh); bumping the base of the tree on the ground (if the needles don’t fall, the tree is fresh); and feeling the bottom of the trunk (if sappy and moist, the tree is fresh).

When the tree is home, families still need to care for it to make it stay fresh throughout the season:

>> Keep a cut tree in a cool, shaded area, sheltered from wind, with the trunk in a bucket of water until you are ready for set up.

>> Just before putting a cut tree into its stand, cut an inch or two off the butt end. This fresh cut will allow the tree to more readily take up water once it is moved inside.

>> Fresh trees take up water at a very fast rate. You should check the water level two hours after setting up the tree. Then, check the water level at least once daily to see that it is above the bottom of the tree’s trunk. It is not uncommon for trees to take up a quart or more of water daily.

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Contact:
Dan Shortridge
Chief of Community Relations
Delaware Department of Agriculture
302-698-4520