In Agri 130 on September 19th, Ed Kee gave a guest lecture on the profitability of agriculture and how Delaware can play a major role in providing food for American citizens. One reason why Delaware is such a powerhouse, when it comes to supplying agriculture to the eastern United States, is because 1/3 of the of the entire population is within 8 hours of Delaware. This number is essential in understanding why Delaware has been so successful in the agricultural industry, because of the easy access to buyers and markets. In Delaware the total agricultural economic activity is 7.9 billion dollars, all of that money goes back to the farmers and back into the community. Another thing that Ed Kee informed our class about is the abundance of tomatoes in the agricultural community in the 1920’s. Additionally, Ed talked about vegetable processors, and how in 1919 there were 103 in Delaware and currently there are only two, J.G. Townsends in Georgetown, and PictSweet in Bridgeville.

Agriculture has developed rapidly since the early 1900’s when it began to be an industry in Delaware. Some of those things include improvements in irrigation, changes in the genetic makeup of crops, and a better understanding of soil fertility, weed control, and pest management. All of these things have led to Delawares ability to be a leading producer of many products including but not limited to poultry, sweet corn, and lima beans. Ed Kee’s lecture brought insight into many of the reasons why Delaware should be looked at as a FoodShed for the American people.

Former Delaware Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Kee, visited our class on  9/17 to deliver an insightful guest lecture on numerous components on Delaware agriculture. Delaware agriculture plays an extremely important role in feeding America because 1/3 of the national population lives within 8 hours of the state. To meet the nutritional needs of these people, canning, grain, vegetable, and poultry industries took off in Delaware. In order to maintain this tradition of Delaware agriculture, Ed Kee himself spearheaded an Aglands Preservation campaign that offers economic resources to ensure that farmland remains farmland. This initiative, along with innovations in technology and management practices, are key components to keeping agricultural systems sustainable for future growing generations. It was very reassuring to here that influential people, such as Ed Kee, are addressing these pressing issues.

Ed Kee’s lecture discussed the importance of Delaware’s Agriculture Industry for being a “FoodShed for the Eastern U.S.” The fact that one third of the population lives within eight hours of Delaware helps make this possible. Ed Kee also talked about the importance of the rail road. The completion of the Delaware Railroad encouraged a market driven agricultural economy. The railroad faced competition with trucks when the DuPont Highway was completed. All the transportation options for food made it worthwhile to farm in Delaware. Ed Kee also discussed the importance of technological advances. An example he gave was about Woodside Farm Creamery. They will be using a robotic cow milker. With the steady increase in world population, efficiency in agriculture is going to become a much more pressing issue. Hopefully as time passes, the industry will be able to use technology to keep up with feeding as much of the world as possible.

On September 17, 2018, AGRI 130 students received information about the relevance of Delaware agriculture from Ed Kee, former Secretary of Agriculture for the state of Delaware (DE). A foodshed is defined as a geographic location that provides food for a population. Delaware is a foodshed that is conveniently placed within an eight-hour drive of one-third of the US population. This centrality gives Delaware the opportunity to produce poultry, crops, and other agricultural products for shipment to major cities. Since Delaware is an important agricultural asset, the state is preserving agricultural land through the Aglands Preservation Program which prevents participating land from being developed.
Over time, Delaware became known for their poultry and fruit production. Products would travel by train and boat to large cities on the east coast. Canned products also became a part of the agricultural success for DE in the 1800’s. Many canning factories within Delaware canned tomatoes which fulfilled nutritional deficiencies in the 1800’s. The canned tomato industry has since moved to California. Agriculture has deep roots in Delaware; Woodside Dairy which was established in 1796 is still in business today.
Although the agricultural history of Delaware is long, agriculturalists have grown with modern technology to meet the need for agricultural products. Agriculture is an important part of Delaware and the United States. In order to meet the needs of a growing population, we need to make sure that agriculture stays profitable and that agricultural job positions are filled. Thank you to Ed Kee for coming to the University of Delaware and speaking to the AGRI 130 students.