Toward the start of the semester Secretary of Ag Ed Kee visited our class to talk about Delaware agriculture from where it started to what it has become. Secretary Kee’s father worked more on the business end of the agriculture world, but he had a chance to work on a farm in Lewes Delaware in his teen years and took the opportunity. Later in his life Secretary Kee worked three years as a farm manager and is now currently in his eighth year of serving as Delaware’s Secretary of Ag. He said his job covers a lot but some main parts are advocating for Ag and working with teams to manage the department. Covering the regulations of a number of functions including food safety, pesticide use, weights and measures and the list goes on for him.

During his presentation Mr. Kee spoke with our class about how 20% of Delaware farmland has been permanently preserved by the AgLand Preservation Program which is so cool!! He also discussed Delaware’s history of Agriculture like how tomato’s used to a huge crop in the state, and all of the advances in technology that’s occurred over the years in Delaware to enhance farming. Secretary Kee also was real with the class about challenges the industry is facing like profitability and regulations as well as others and how some of these issues will be passed on to the next generation, which happens to includes us!! It was really cool to see where Ag had been, to where it is now, and then kind of be pushed to realize that our class is going to see and even have a hand in where agriculture goes and what it develops into!