Ag Week to bring farming community together
Continuing a 20-plus-year tradition, the First State’s agricultural community is set to gather from Monday to Thursday, Jan. 12 to 15, at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington to celebrate Delaware Agriculture Week.
Wide-ranging breakout sessions, continuing education credits, industry experts and networking opportunities highlight the event, with several dozen vendors and exhibitors scheduled to be on site.
Agriculture continues to be Delaware’s top industry, with the food and agriculture sector providing more than 76,000 direct jobs and more than $31 billion in total economic activity, including $3.8 billion in direct wages. On 520,000 acres of farmland, Delaware’s 2,150 family farms produce a wide variety of products, from corn, soybeans and wheat to poultry, fruits and vegetables.
“For more than two decades, Delaware Agriculture Week has been a focal point of the winter season for farm families all across the region,” said Don Clifton, Delaware secretary of agriculture. “This is a wonderful event to take advantage of, with spotlight sessions on various agricultural topics and the opportunity to learn about the latest innovations and best practices showing promise for the coming year.”
The session schedule includes morning, afternoon and evening events covering a variety of topics. They will provide information on growing fruits, vegetables, hay and pasture; raising poultry, beef and swine; managing woodlands and soil; using and protecting pollinators; making best use of marketing strategies; and more.
Those looking to attend the events can find speaker and location information online at sites.udel.edu/delawareagweek. Specific sessions require preregistration. If a poultry event requiring biosecurity measures occurs, sessions will be offered via live webinar. Anyone planning to attend in person must register at udel.edu/0014007. Should the schedule change, attendees will be notified and provided with a webinar link.
“Delaware Ag Week continues to be a valuable opportunity for learning, networking and sharing ideas, all in one place, for everyone involved in agriculture,” said Cory Whaley, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension agent for Sussex County and co-chair of the Delaware Ag Week planning committee.
Event hosting partners are Delaware Department of Agriculture, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and Delaware State University Cooperative Extension. To ensure accommodation for attendees with special needs, call 302-831-3328.
