September 16th, 2019 Mr. Ed Kee talked to the class about why we should see our Agriculture Industry as a food shed. In Delaware there are 2,500 farms which covers 510,000 acres of land. All together it comes out to about 1.2 billion in Agriculture sales. That then multiplies 6-7 billion to economic activity. In total there is 41 percent farmland coupled with forest land! That’ leaves 76 percent FREE SPACE! The change in the economy from 1950 to 2007 decreased by 25 percent in farms and 24 percent in acres. In 1950 there were 8,300 farms and 904,000 acres. When 2007 came around there were only 2,546 farms and only 510,000 acres. Transportation was a big deal in agriculture and food production. Sail power and steam ships moved grain and produce to markets. Delaware’s first completed railroad was in Delmar in 1859 and stimulated a market driven to agricultural economy. When the railroad started to receive major competition, they then built the Dupont Highway in the 1920’s which is still used this very day!