With farm stands opening their doors and farmers' market seasons kicking off this month, it's now easier than ever for Delawareans to buy their farm-fresh items directly from growers.

The Delaware Forest Service will hold its 19th annual Fire Camp at Redden State Forest near Georgetown on Saturday, April 26 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The intensive one-day seminar provides hands-on training to volunteer wildland firefighters and, weather permitting, will feature a "live burn" exercise in which crew members battle an actual wildfire.

Irrigation can increase grain production and profitability even in a near-ideal growing season, a new survey of Delaware cropland shows.

Delaware farmers are among the most productive and efficient in the nation, with the First State remaining first in the nation in the value of agricultural products sold per acre, according to U.S. Census of Agriculture data released Friday.

Governor Jack Markell celebrated Arbor Day by joining over 500 kindergarten students at McIlvaine Early Childhood Center for a ribbon-cutting to unveil the school's new "Tree Walk & Talk Arboretum." Gov. Markell also honored winners of the Delaware Forest Service's annual Arbor School Poster Contest and joined in commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the adoption of the American holly as Delaware's state tree in 1939.

Homebrewers from around the region can compete in Delaware’s premier home-brewed beer competition, the Fourth Annual Battle of the Brews at the Delaware State Fair. The July 19 event is a Beer Judge Certification Program-sanctioned event, where certified judges will rate and rank the work of home-brewing enthusiasts, sponsored by the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

The public is invited to attend a garden fair on Saturday, June 21, to celebrate the dedication of the Planting Hope in Delaware garden on the Herman Holloway Campus near New Castle. The free event, from 9 a.m. to noon, will include tours of the Planting Hope sensory, community and market gardens; a honey tasting from the Delaware Beekeepers Association in celebration of National Pollinator Week; story time with PAWS for People dogs; and a meditative labyrinth for walking.

Middletown High School FFA students won the 2014 “Forestry Career Development Event (CDE),” a challenging test of tree identification skills, forestry tools and knowledge, and math-related abilities. Sussex Central High School's FFA team placed second. Each team consisted of four students who answered both individual and team-based questions. Middletown will now represent Delaware at the National FFA Convention and Expo in Louisville, Kentucky that begins on October 29, 2014.

HARRINGTON — Visitors to the Delaware State Fair can learn about farming, explore the fair and win prizes this year with the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s new Fair Scavenger Hunt. Families can search for answers in the fair’s animal barns, on equipment row, and in the DDA buildings, gaining a deeper understanding of the importance […]

High-resolution images on Delaware Forest Service’s Facebook Photo Album DOVER – The Delaware Forest Service has sent a second wildfire crew to the western United States as 41 active large fires are burning over 700,000 acres across five western states, with most concentrated in California, Oregon, and Washington, with 10 each. So far this year, […]

Thanks to funding from the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Legacy Program, four former Glatfelter Pulp Wood, Inc. forested parcels totaling 371 acres are now part of Redden State Forest. The completion of the $1.35 million purchase this week marked the final phase of the Green Horizons Forest Legacy Program project in Delaware initiated in 2004 with the purchase of an easement on the 908-acre Ponders Tract near Ellendale.

Four families which have owned their farms for at least 100 years were honored as owners of Century Farms on Tuesday in a ceremony honoring Delaware agriculture’s long heritage and historic roots.

Thirteen farms totaling more than 1,060 acres have been selected for permanent easements to add to the Delaware Farmland Preservation Program. Under the Markell administration, 304 farms totaling 27,700 acres have been preserved.

DOVER – Delaware authorities are urging poultry and bird owners to be vigilant in the wake of avian influenza cases reported in Oregon and Washington state. “Though it’s far away at the moment, we know that avian influenza can spread rapidly,” said Delaware State Veterinarian Dr. Heather Hirst, who heads the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s […]

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. The eight-hour Food Safety for Entrepreneurs program will be Saturday, Feb. 28, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Department of Agriculture offices near Camden, 2320 South DuPont Highway.

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.

Two Delaware racing officials have been named chairman and secretary of the Organization of Racing Investigators, which represents racetracks, regulatory agencies and law enforcement involved in upholding the integrity of horse racing.

State authorities are alerting local businesses and purchasers of tropical nursery stock of the recent detection of fire ants in a shipment of palm trees imported from Florida. The red imported fire ants were detected during a routine check at a Sussex County business by the Delaware Department of Agriculture's Plant Industries nursery inspection team. They were eradicated and do not pose a threat.

To protect against the spread of avian influenza, the Delaware Department of Agriculture is prohibiting waterfowl entries in the poultry competitions at the Delaware State Fair next month. "This action is being taken out of an abundance of caution to guard against the spread of avian influenza," said Delaware State Veterinarian Dr. Heather Hirst. There have been no East Coast cases of the disease. There are no immediate public health concerns, and poultry and eggs which are properly prepared and cooked are still safe to eat.

To honor October as “Fire Prevention Month,” Smokey Bear will visit Delaware schools to teach children that “only you can prevent wildfires.” Nationwide fire data continue to show that human activity causes the largest number of forest fires, which is why Smokey teaches children at a very early age that they should never play with fire or use matches. Last year, the Delaware Forest Service provided 104 fire education programs to 9,410 students - a record number of school programs for the agency.

DelDOT and the Department of Agriculture are urging Delaware drivers to be alert for the presence of agricultural equipment on roads and to practice safe road-sharing techniques when encountering them. The state is the midst of harvest season and farmers are moving large tractors, trailers, trucks and other large equipment on state roads as they move between fields or to equipment staging areas.

Poultry farmer Chris Lesniowski of Marydel has been recognized for his efforts to improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff with the 2015 Delaware Environmental Stewardship Award.

A Kent County farm founded before the First World War was recognized Thursday as Delaware's newest Century Farm. The Thompson family, which owns a 77-acre farm near Hartly, was honored with the Century Farm Award at a ceremony at Delaware Ag Week at the State Fairgrounds in Harrington.

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.

Organizations wanting to launch or expand an urban agriculture or community garden project to benefit their neighborhood can apply for new micro-grants from the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

The Delaware Forest Service’s 21st Annual Fire Camp will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at Redden State Forest from 6:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. The intensive, one-day seminar is the capstone of the agency's wildfire training program to certify its emergency firefighters to meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards. In addition to completing an arduous "work capacity test" - which involves carrying a 45-pound pack over a three-mile course in less than 45 minutes - crew members will receive hands-on instruction in several key areas: wildfire suppression techniques, how weather affects fire behavior, crew mobilization and teamwork, water pump and chainsaw usage, and culminating with a “live” controlled burn fire situation.

State officials hope a new addition at the Blackbird Forest Education Center in Townsend will become a "hive of activity" as its occupants get "busy as bees" teaching visitors about the natural environment, the valuable role bees play in crop pollination and honey production, and how forests and flowering tree species can contribute to bee health and well-being. “Trees for Bees” is the theme of the 10th “National Pollinator Week” (June 20-26, 2016). The 2016 theme highlights the many natural benefits that flowering native tree species such as tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), black willow (Salix nigra), northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), and maples (Acer spp.) can offer to foraging bees.

Middletown’s FFA Chapter won the 2016 Forestry Career Development Event (CDE) – a challenging test of tree identification skills, forestry knowledge, and math abilities – held this week at Brecknock Park in Camden. Middletown will go on to compete in the forestry event at the 89th National FFA Convention & Expo from Oct. 19 to 22, 2016 in Indianapolis, IN. The Milford FFA Chapter placed second and will go on to compete in the forestry competition at the Eastern States Exposition or “The Big E!,” scheduled to take place in Springfield, MA on September 17.

Eleven Delaware urban farm and community garden projects are receiving support to grow and thrive through a new initiative designed to strengthen communities and improve nutrition.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture has announced the winners of its 2016 Happy and Healthy Chickens Photo Contest, celebrating the best snapshots of Delaware backyard poultry flocks. The winner, chosen from a field of nearly 100 photographs, was Weston Williams, 11, of Felton, for his photo “Proud Stance.”

Delaware is sending its second wildfire crew of the summer to the Great Basin region. Responding to a spike in wildfire activity in the West that has increased the National Fire Preparedness Level to 4 on a 5-point scale, Delaware has joined forces with neighboring Mid-Atlantic states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio) to dispatch five crews, a total of 100 firefighters, to battle fires in the Great Basin. The crews departed Harrisburg, PA for Salt Lake City on August 25. Delaware is now assigned to the Henry's Creek Fire near Idaho Falls, Idaho.

DOVER — Three Delaware families which have owned their farms for at least 100 years were honored as Century Farms on Tuesday. With the inductions Tuesday, there are now 133 Century Farms in Delaware, said Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee. “Our children and grandchildren depend upon farm families such as these to ensure that we […]

Organizations wanting to launch or expand an urban agriculture or community garden project to benefit their neighborhood can apply for micro-grants from the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

Poultry farmers Ted Layton and Scott Willey have been recognized for their efforts to improve water quality and reduce nutrient runoff with the 2016 Delaware Environmental Stewardship Award.

Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse today announced the appointment of Austin Short and Kenny Bounds as deputy secretaries of agriculture.

The Delaware Forest Service is closing a picnic pavilion and adjacent parking lot at Redden State Forest due to persistent criminal activity at the site, located on the Jester Tract at Camp Road and Redden Road north of Georgetown, Sussex County. Designed by Delaware’s first state forester William S. Taber and constructed by conservation work crews in 1936, the rustic pavilion has now become a magnet for lewd conduct, drugs, and other offenses that have occasionally startled and kept away other visitors. While agency officials have no specific timetable for reopening, they plan to use the closure period for renovations and security upgrades that could again allow for public access at the site.

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, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Eighteen Delaware urban agriculture and community garden projects are receiving support through a second round of funding designed to strengthen communities and improve nutrition. The partnerships that have developed at the local and state around urban agriculture and community gardening have really helped to transform Delaware communities. The grants awarded this year totaled $27,671.74, with $17,671.74 from Delaware Department of Agriculture. New Castle Conservation District pledged the additional $10,000 match for New Castle County sites.

Leslie Merriken received Delaware's 2017 "Tree Farmer of the Year" award for her extensive work in forestry conservation and education at the Delaware Forestry Association's annual meeting in Bridgeville. The honor recognizes landowners who practice exceptional management and promote sustainable forestry. The American Tree Farm System was established in 1941 and is one of the oldest forest landowner organizations. Delaware's first Tree Farm was certified in 1959; today there are more than 200 Tree Farms covering over 20,000 acres.

To protect our State, we are asking Delawareans to join us in the battle against invasive plant pest and diseases. If you suspect an invasive pest or disease, contact our Plant Industries section at (302) 698-4500. Get acquainted with the hungry pests that would like to dine in Delaware by visiting www.hungrypests.com. This April—Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month—we urge you to help stop the spread of these harmful pests.

U.S. Senator Thomas R. Carper joined public officials and schoolchildren to observe "Delaware Arbor Day" at Dover Air Force Base, which celebrated its 25th Year as a Tree City USA. The last Friday in April is commemorated as Arbor Day in the First State, an occasion to encourage tree planting and highlight the numerous benefits that trees provide: cleaner air and water, natural beauty, valuable wood products and food, reduced storm water runoff, and improved property values. The ceremony also honored the winners of the Delaware Forest Service's annual school poster contest and included a ceremonial tree planting of an American holly (Ilex opaca), Delaware's state tree.

Red imported fire ants were detected during a routine check at a Sussex County business by the Delaware Department of Agriculture's Plant Industries nursery inspection team. A Hold and Control Order was promptly issued, and a treatment program to eliminate the fire ants is underway. "Buyers of tropical nursery stock - such as palm trees - should carefully inspect their plants for small, aggressive red stinging ants," said Stephen Hauss, Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator for the Department of Agriculture. "We need these to be reported quickly and promptly to keep them from spreading or staying in Delaware over the winter."

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Friday released the following statement commending Delaware Forest Service’s wildfire crew prior to the mobilization of the 20-person team that will battle wildfires in the Rocky Mountain region. “Delaware’s wildfire crew is a group of well-trained volunteers and public servants who will leave the safety and comfort of […]

Late summer coincides with peak mosquito season, which brings an increased risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus (WNV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) for humans, but also for horses. “Owners are encouraged to talk to their veterinarian about having their horses vaccinated against these viruses,” said Delaware State Veterinarian Dr. Heather Hirst.

Delaware fruit and vegetable growers can now receive financial support in obtaining a third party audit to verify they are following effective food safety practices. The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) is extending its Food Safety Audit Cost-Share Program for growers to include any third party food safety audit, not just USDA Harmonized GAP audits.

In the scam, the homeowner is told that they must leave their house for a period of twelve hours while the individual sprays crops in the nearby vicinity. There are some indicators that these visits are a scam in an attempt to get the homeowner to leave their house unattended. There are currently no agricultural pesticide spraying practices in Delaware that would require one to leave their home.

Delaware farmers, between 18 and 40 years old have the opportunity to apply for the Young Farmers Loan Program through November 30, 2017. The program provides long-term, no-interest loans to help eligible farmers purchase land, reducing the financial impact on farmers just starting out or looking to expand.

Beginning in December, farmers in Delaware and Maryland will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their communities and industry by taking part in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Census data are used by all those who serve farmers and rural communities from federal, state and local governments to agribusinesses, trade associations, researchers, and many others.

Six Delaware families which have owned their farms for at least 100 years were honored as 2017 Century Farms. “Today we are recognizing farm families that have made a commitment for 100 years or more to keep their land in agriculture for future generations,” said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “It’s in the true spirit of farm families who weather the ups and downs of farming that Delaware agriculture is able to remain strong.”

The Delaware Urban and Community Forestry Program is offering up to $5,000 in grants for community-based tree projects throughout the First State.  The program is open to all Delaware municipalities, homeowner associations, and certified nonprofits. Applications are limited to one project in one category (tree planting or tree management), and all funds must be utilized on publicly owned land or community open space. Grant recipients must also provide a 50-50 cost-share match, which can be met through a combination of volunteer labor, donated materials and services, or cash from non-federal sources. This year's application deadline is March 2, 2018. Winners will be notified by April 2.