Delaware Agriculture Vital to Local Economy

BY STACEY HOFMANN

AS DELAWARE’S TOP INDUSTRY, agriculture is vital to the local economy, providing jobs, economic opportunity, and locally grown food to feed Delawareans and visitors.

Delaware agriculture provides more than 66,000 jobs and $8.94 billion of economic activity, including $1.5 billion in direct sales from 2,300 family farms. Delaware farmers produce various agricultural products on 525,000 acres, including corn, soybeans, wheat, poultry, and vegetables.

In 2021, Delaware farms raised 222 million broilers. Sussex County is the largest broiler-producing county in the United States, and Kent County is in the top 15 broiler-producing counties. “Delaware agricultural producers are among the best in the country. Our farmers are leading the way—growing food, helping the environment, and creating jobs, ” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “Farmland preservation is a priority for this administration so farmers can continue to be productive, families can enjoy locally-grown food to put on their tables, and we can enjoy the beauty of our rural communities for generations to come.”

American Farmland Trust ranked the Delaware Aglands Preservation Program the second most effective program in the country. Since 2017, increased funding has preserved an additional 291 farms on 25,000 acres, with 17 percent of all farms preserved since the program began in 1996, occurring during this timeframe.

Delaware farms produce a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, cut flowers, and evergreens from April through December. The state’s seasonality offers distinct flavors, colors, and variety that appeal to all. Knowing that the fresh produce purchased at the farmers’ market or farm stand has had the minimum amount of time “off the vine” is essential. In a small state like Delaware, family farms pick early in the morning so the consumer has the freshest selection at the market. And with less time to reach the market, nutrients are retained, making Delaware-grown produce more nutritious.

Farm to table is more than just buying your food locally. It’s an understanding that your food did not start its journey to your table at the grocery store. It’s also a celebration of Delaware’s agricultural history and the enjoyment of the great food you prepared for you and your loved ones.

Next time you are looking to buy in-season fruits and vegetables, visit DelawareGrown.com to find a local farmers’ market or farm stand. Take this opportunity to connect with Delaware family farmers who take pride in growing the freshest produce. Many farms also offer communitysupported agriculture programs where you can purchase a share and get a weekly box of produce, honey, and more. The website also has a great recipe collection searchable by type of produce, season, or dish type, and provides instructions on handling and storing what you purchased.

If you cannot make it to the farm or the farmers’ market, look for Delaware Grown in your local grocery’s produce aisle. You might be surprised to learn that almost every lima bean in the frozen aisle was grown in Delaware!

Photo by Edwin Remsberg / Delaware Department of Agriculture

Delaware: Small in Size, BIG in Agriculture

• 525,324 acres in farming—42% of the state’s total land

• 2,302 farms—or one farm for every 420 people

• 780 family farms raise poultry

• 9,880 acres dedicated to harvesting lima beans—that’s more than any other state

• 800+ farms grow corn and/or soybeans for grain

• 500+ farms have more than 4,100 horses and ponies

• 300 million honeybees are needed to pollinate the state’s crops each year

• 20,000+ acres of state forests

• Second most effective farmland preservation program in the U.S. by the American Farmland Trust

• First in the U.S. in the value of agricultural products per acre

Stacey Hofmann is chief of community relations at the Delaware Department of Agriculture.