Students from across the state took home honors during the 100^th Delaware State Fair in Harrington last week.

The list of the members’ accomplishments is available here.

Nearly 300 students, advisors, and judges representing business and industry throughout the state participated in state career and leadership development events during the Delaware State Fair. Members demonstrated professionalism, leadership and skill attainment in 23 events.

The Delaware FFA Association is a career and technical student organization that is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. To learn more about the Delaware FFA Association, please contact Bart Gill by phone at (302) 857-4019 or by email at bart.gill@doe.k12.de.us.

Media Contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

DOVER, Del. — Too much rain at the wrong time, like Delaware experienced in April and May, has destroyed several high dollar crops and threatens the yield of many others, leaving farmers to wonder what the future holds. In surveying the state and listening to farmers, Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse made a request for an emergency disaster declaration two weeks ago to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Service Center.

“Delaware family farms are the backbone of our economy, making agriculture our number one industry,” said Governor Carney. “Farming is hard no matter what – but when you get hit with the weather we have seen this spring, and the damage it has done to our fruit and vegetable crops, our grains, and our hay – it has a huge impact on our farmers, our communities, and the state as a whole.”

Once a request for a declaration is made, the FSA staff begins official surveys of the status of current crops at the state and county level. These reports are then compiled, reviewed, and sent on to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. In order to be eligible for this declaration, Delaware has to have at least 30 percent loss in crop production for at least one crop.

“It is impossible for Delaware farmers to come out of this without emergency assistance,” said Scuse. “Many of our fruit and vegetable farms have taken a beating and other crops definitely will not be able to reach optimal yields. We have farmers who are trying to plant field corn for the third and fourth time. That’s a lot of money invested in seed and when the bill arrives they are going to need help paying it.”

The state has three months from the last day of the disaster to file a declaration request to USDA.

The benefit of an emergency disaster declaration is it gives farmers time to apply and get an emergency loan. These loans help producers to recover from production and physical losses from the torrential rains and flooding in Delaware. Farmers have nine months to apply for the loans once USDA makes the official crop damage declaration, which provides them time to compile the paperwork and only apply for the funds they really need to borrow.

Once submitted, Delaware has to wait to learn if USDA will grant them the emergency declaration.

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

Dover, Del. – During the next several weeks, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major mid-year surveys, the June Agricultural Survey and the June Area Survey. The agency will contact around 350 producers across Delaware to determine crop acreage and stock levels as of June 1, 2018.

“Delaware family farmers produce a variety of agricultural products on 500,000 acres of farmland, creating more than $8 billion in economic activity throughout the state,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “The information that our farmers provide in these surveys is critical to helping everyone – from fellow farmers to legislators to businesses – make decisions that will ultimately impact Delaware’s number one industry. It is critical that NASS has the most accurate data, so I urge Delaware farmers to participate in the June Surveys.”

Data for the June Agricultural Surveys are gathered by NASS via the Internet, mail, phone, or via in-person interview. For the June Area Survey, trained NASDA enumerators representing NASS visit select tracts of land and interview the operators of any farm or ranch within that selected tract. Growers are asked to provide information on planted and harvested acreage – including acreage for biotech crops – and grain stocks. Additionally, the survey collects data on livestock inventory, cash rents, land values, and value of sales.

“NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents and publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual operation or producer can be identified,” stated Dale P. Hawks, Maryland/Delaware State Statistician of the NASS Northeastern Regional Office. “We recognize this is a hectic time for farmers and ranchers, but the information they provide helps U.S. agriculture remain viable and capable.”

NASS will analyze the survey information and publish the results in a series of USDA reports, including the annual Acreage and quarterly Grain Stocks reports, both to be released June 29, 2018. Survey data also contribute to NASS’s monthly and annual Crop Production reports, the annual Small Grains Summary, the annual Farms and Land in Farms and Land Values reports, various livestock reports, including Cattle, Sheep and Goats, and Hogs and Pigs, and USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates.

These and all NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/. For more information call the NASS Delaware Field Office at 800-282-8685.

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

DOVER – Approximately $1 million in conservation funding assistance is now available to help beginning farmers in Kent County address poultry mortality management on their farming operation. The funding – for implementing water quality best management practices including composters and mortality freezers to address routine mortality – comes through a program led by the Kent Conservation District in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), the Department of Agriculture (DDA), and the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).

Proper poultry mortality management is critical to prevent leaching of nutrients, spreading of disease, and attracting vermin. The beginning farmer poultry mortality management project administrated by the USDA’s NRCS will improve water quality, biosecurity, and also will help Delaware meet the Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for nutrients in the county’s waterways.

Financial assistance in Kent County is made available recognizing that beginning farmers face significant startup costs, and that there is a backlog of applicants awaiting approval through financial assistance programs for composters, mortality freezers, poultry manure structures, and heavy-use area protection pads.

To qualify, beginning farmers must meet the eligibility requirements of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Interested beginning farmers are encouraged to visit the Kent Conservation District office at 800 Bay Road, Suite 2, Dover, DE 19901 to sign up for the program. The district accepts applications year round, but the next application deadline is June 15. All applications are batched monthly and expedited through the contract process in order to implement water quality BMPs in a timely manner.

Funding is through a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project led by the Kent Conservation District, DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship and Watershed Assessment and Management Section, the DDA’s Nutrient Management Program, and the Delmarva Poultry Industry. In addition, Farm Freezers LLC and Greener Solutions LLC are offering a $100 rebate per freezer unit purchased through the program, along with a collection fee rebate of $100 per flock for one year after installation.

For more information, please contact Timothy Riley, district coordinator, Kent Conservation District at 302-741-2600, ext. 3, or visit www.kentcd.org.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 122

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