DOVER, Del. (December 26, 2023)— Delaware’s agricultural industry looks forward to attending the annual Delaware Ag Week at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington from January 8 – 11, 2024.

“Ag Week is the largest venue where Delaware farmers, agribusinesses, and subject matter experts can network and learn about the latest innovations and research that will impact them in the upcoming growing season,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “Nineteen years ago, the Department of Agriculture, University of Delaware, and Delaware State University Cooperative Extension developed Ag Week to help farmers get everything they needed in one spot so we could reduce the time they were away from the farm in the height of planting and harvesting, and it’s now a tradition everyone looks forward to attending.”

The four-day event offers many sessions featuring agronomy, animal science, beekeeping, fruits and vegetables, woodland management, and more. Attendees can earn continuing education credits for nutrient management, pest management, and Certified Crop Advising for Delaware and Maryland.

Those looking to attend the event can find the focus of each day, session topics, speakers, and locations online at https://sites.udel.edu/delawareagweek.

The information delivered is crucial to maintaining the success of the agriculture industry, which is the state’s top economic driver. According to the 2023 Feeding the Economy Report, agriculture employs 69,000 and provides nearly $10.3 billion in economic activity to Delaware. In addition, the state’s 2,300 family farms had $1.5 billion in direct sales to consumers.

According to Ag Week Chairman Cory Whaley with the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, “Delaware Ag Week is a great time to get continuing education credits, soak up information, and catch up with friends and others in the ag community. Session organizers have done a tremendous job in putting together great programs that will provide relevant and timely information.”

While registration is not required for the overall event, specific sessions require pre-registration, as specified online, to ensure adequate preparation for the caterers.

This event is brought to you by the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, and the Delaware State University Cooperative Extension. These organizations are equal opportunity providers. If you have special needs requiring accommodations, please get in touch two weeks before the event at 302-831-3328.

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DOVER, Del. (December 15, 2022)— Delaware’s agricultural producers will return to the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington from January 9-12, 2023, for an in-person Ag Week experience. For the past two years, participants have been attending sessions virtually. The much-awaited return to an in-person event will allow attendees to explore the latest and most valuable innovations while networking with other producers, industry experts, and agricultural vendors and exhibitors.

“Ag Week is an ongoing partnership between the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the University of Delaware, and Delaware State University to provide educational sessions and meetings to members of the agricultural community to help improve profitability for the upcoming year,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “Additionally, farmers can connect directly with local agribusiness under one roof in between sessions and during lunch, which saves a lot of time doing business.”

The event offers a wide array of sessions over the four days, featuring agronomy, animal science, beekeeping, fruits and vegetables, woodland management, and more. Attendees can earn continuing education credits for nutrient management, pest management, and Certified Crop Advising for Delaware and Maryland.

For the first time, the annual Delaware Farmers Market Managers Summit will take place during Ag Week instead of in March. Being held on Tuesday, January 10, from 10 a.m. – Noon, market managers from across the state will be able to network, learn about the program and regulatory changes, and review the challenges and achievements of the 2022 market season. The featured education segment will be “Effective Public Relations Hacks for Farmers Markets.” Following the Summit beginning at Noon, a ‘Meet and Greet Session’ for market managers and fruit and vegetable growers will commence helping increase the number of family farms participating in Delaware’s farmers markets.

Registration for the 2023 Delaware Ag Week will go live on December 15. People interested in attending Ag Week are encouraged to pre-register online at https://sites.udel.edu/delawareagweek to ensure an accurate count for food and logistical purposes.

Environmental stewardship spearheaded by farmers around the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays has made them leaders in practices that protect and promote healthy soils. These practices also safeguard working lands against extremes posed by climate change. A special screening and panel discussion on the film, Delmarva and the Ground for Change, will be hosted in the Exhibit Hall on Tuesday, January 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. This film follows three family-owned farming operations on the Delmarva Peninsula to protect soil health.

This event is brought to you by the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, and Delaware State University Cooperative Extension. These organizations are equal opportunity providers. If you have special needs requiring accommodations, please contact us two weeks before the event at 302-856-7303.

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DOVER, Del. (January 13, 2022) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a proposed rule change on December 6, 2021, to amend the agricultural water requirements of the Produce Safety Rule. In response to the proposed change, the Delaware Department of Agriculture and University of Delaware Cooperative Extension will host two outreach sessions on January 21, 2022, to engage farmers and other stakeholders.

The Produce Safety Rule was signed into law in 2011 as part of the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act. FDA’s proposed rule amends the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for covered produce other than sprouts previously established in Subpart E of the Produce Safety Rule. In the proposed rule, previous pre-harvest water microbial quality criteria and testing requirements are proposed to be replaced with more flexible requirements for pre-harvest agricultural water assessments. These assessments are designed to be more feasible to implement across various agricultural systems.

The two sessions scheduled for January 21 in Delaware will detail the proposed changes to the rule. Producers and stakeholders will learn best practices to write and submit questions and public comments to the FDA and participate in open discussions. Anyone interested in attending a session must register online at https://delawarewaterrulemeeting.eventbrite.com.

FDA has initiated a public comment period on the proposed rule to close on April 5, 2022. For public comments to be officially considered, all comments must be spoken at one of the FDA’s public meetings or submitted in writing to Docket No. FDA-2021-N-0471 on Regulations.gov.

FDA is hosting two virtual public meetings to discuss the proposed changes and hear feedback. These meetings are scheduled for February 14 and February 25, 2022. Farmers and industry representatives are encouraged to attend. Registration is required to obtain the details and link to attend one of the dates offered by the FDA.

Farmers and stakeholders who have clarification questions about proposed changes to the rule should submit them to AgWater@fda.hhs.gov.

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DOVER – Agricultural entrepreneurs who want to produce certain foods in their on-farm kitchens can receive food safety training and become certified under Delaware law at an upcoming workshop jointly sponsored by the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

The eight-hour “Food Safety for Entrepreneurs” program presented by Dr. Sue Snider of the University of Delaware will take place Saturday, March 25, at the Delaware Department of Agriculture, 2320 South DuPont Highway, Dover. The class will be 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Participants should arrive by 7:45 a.m. for registration and bring a bagged lunch.

Register by March 17 by contacting Debra Whitmore at debra.whitmore@delaware.gov or 302-698-4540.

Participants will learn how to identify potentially hazardous and non-potentially hazardous foods; understand foodborne pathogens and ways to control them; reduce the risk of foodborne illness; evaluate their plan for controlling potential microbial problems; and understand state regulations on farm-produced, non-potentially hazardous food items.

Non-potentially hazardous items include such things as baked breads, cakes, muffins, cookies, non-chocolate candy, jellies, jams, preserves, marmalades, fruit butters, fruit pies, herbs in vinegar, honey and herb mixtures, dried fruit and vegetables, spices or herbs, maple syrup, sorghum, popcorn, caramel corn, peanut brittle and roasted nuts.

The training, certification and inspections of farm kitchens are required under Delaware regulations adopted in 2006, and apply to farmers who wish to process non-potentially hazardous foods in their on-farm home kitchens for sale to the public at DDA-listed farmers’ markets, on their farm or at a roadside stand on or near their farm. On-farm kitchens will be inspected by appointment after participants complete the training and pass a written test.

The “Food Safety for Entrepreneurs” program is also one of the recommended trainings in the Division of Public Health Office of Food Protection Cottage Food Establishment Producer program. The Cottage Food program is meant to regulate the preparation of a limited type of food products made in residential kitchens.

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

Invading Your Forest – Woodland Management Workshop
at Delaware Ag. Week on Jan. 17 at Delaware State Fairgrounds

“Invading Your Forest,” a workshop on managing invasive species in Delaware woodlands, will be held on Friday, January 17 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the ACE building-Delaware State Fairgrounds, Harrington. The program is designed for forest landowners, forest businesses, community ‘open-space’ managers, and anyone interested in learning more about Mile-A-Minute Weed, Kudzu, Porcelainberry, Japanese Hop, Wisteria, Asian Longhorned Beetle, Emerald Ash Borer and other non-native invaders encroaching into Delaware forestland.

Attendees will learn techniques for identifying and eradicating invasive plants and pests from members of the Delaware Invasive Species Council, University of Delaware College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware Department of Agriculture, USDA-Natural Resources Service, USDA-Agriculture Research Service, Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control and ‘experienced’ landowners.

This workshop is sponsored by the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, Delaware Forestry Association and Delaware Tree Farm Program as part of the 2014 Delaware Agricultural Week, which begins January 13. The annual event provides numerous educational opportunities for those interested in agriculture production: from bees to livestock, irrigation to pasture management, and fruit to vegetables. All educational events will be hosted at the Delaware State Fairgrounds, in Harrington. For more information on all activities surrounding Delaware AG Week, visit the website: http://sites.udel.edu/delawareagweek/

Preregistration for the woodland management workshop is required by either calling the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension-Kent County office @ 302-730-4000 or emailing Dot Abbott @ dotad@udel.edu  

Media Contact: Dot Abbott (302) 730-4000
Email: dotad@udel.edu
University of Delaware Cooperative Extension
69 Transportation Circle, Dover, Delaware 19901