Equine/Horse

Delaware’s Horse Racing Industry

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Last week we were visited by Mark Davis, a leader in Delaware’s harness horse racing industry. Mark’s career took a winding path to land in the racing industry, from initially majoring in marine biology, however he has found a passion in this position. Mark told us about the progression of the industry, from its roots in medieval England to its recent decline in popularity here in Delaware.

Although racing might not be the first enterprise one may mentally associate with agriculture, it is hugely economically impactful. The equine industry itself contributes 39 billion dollars to the economy annually. In Delaware, the racing industry contributes 182 million to the state’s economy. Furthermore, it adds 1540 jobs of a large variety to the market. With advancements in online streaming and gambling, it is unclear what the future may hold for this industry.

Ag Business

DELAWARE’S HORSE RACING INDUSTRY WITH MARK DAVIS

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On October 24th, 2018 we had guest speaker Mark Davis give us a lecture on the horse racing industry in Delaware. Before his lecture I already knew some information about the horse racing industry since my neighbors had horses that they raced in harness racing. I also have a friend from high school who does barrel racing. Even with this information that I had been exposed to it was only a little bit of the industry. Mark Davis went on to explain the industry in more detail on things I hadn’t heard about before. He started out by mentioning how the origins of modern horse racing began in the 12th century when English knights returned from the Crusades with swift Arabian horses. He also mentioned that the earliest records of racing were in England during the year 1530. He then went on to information about the current stats in the US for the industry. In the US there are 9.2 million horses which are used for racing, show, recreation, and other. He also mentioned a common misconception about raising horses. Most people think only the wealthy raise horses. It turns out that there are approximately 34% of horse owners who have a household income of less than $50,000 and 28% have an annual income of over $100,000. After this he mentioned information on Delaware and then different jobs in the industry. Some of the jobs in the industry are judges, investigators, veterinarians, and horseman. One thing I didn’t know was that you needed a license for harness racing.

Ag Business, Commercial Production, Equipment & Engineering, Field Trips-Tours, Precision Ag

Hoober Field Trip

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On Saturday, October 20th we visited the Hoober shop in Middletown, DE. The day was full of learning, and receiving experience many of us have never had. First, we learned about the company, including it’s history and services. After understanding what the company provided, we toured the facilities and saw the shop. Tractors and spreader were being worked on, and we also looked at some combine and harvesters. While all of this was great, the best part of the day was riding the tractor/sprayer. It was intimidating at first, but once you got the hang of it, it was smooth sailing. We also learned about drone usage in agriculture, which actual requires a state permit to operate. Overall, the day was filled with fun and learning, and each student gained a valuable experience in precision  ag.

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The Livestock Industry with Dan Severson

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Dan Severson gave us an overview of the livestock industry in Delaware. I love learning about Delaware and its agricultural industries. I found it amazing how Delaware farms have an economic impact of $7.9 Billion. Even though it is a small state, it plays a big part in the agriculture industry. He gave us the statistic that the value of Delaware’s agricultural products sold directly to consumers is $3.5 Million. Delaware’s location seems to be helping out the state in many ways. Delaware can easily get its meat to big cities such as Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington D.C. These cities have ethnic districts, which means they are able to sell meat to cultures who require certain types of meat and certain parts of the animal. I was intrigued to learn about the recent dairy trend. The number of dairy farms is decreasing, and herds are becoming large within the remaining farms. I really enjoy being able to learn about so many different industries within the field of agriculture.

Ag Business

Livestock Industries in Delaware

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Dan Severson shared data on beef, hogs, sheep, goats, and dairy cows. Severson gave information on each species different kinds of productions. He also explained and emphasized what it means to be defined as a farm. A farm is a production that sells at least $1,000 of farm products a year. Severson explained the big hit that the dairy industry has faced causing dairy farmers to sell their farms and animals. Surprisingly, Delaware has 28 dairy farms. That’s a large number for such a small state. Severson’s lecture on livestock was definitely insightful and I enjoyed listening to him come in and speak about the other livestock industries that Delaware has to offer. 

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Horse Racing in Delaware

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Mark Davis is the head of Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission at the Delaware Department of Agriculture which regulates and enforces rules on all aspects of horse racing. He started off by telling us about the history of horse racing starting with people proving their who’s horse was faster to the knights bringing back Arabian’s to England. The American settlers brought their horses and racing with them. The first American race track was established in 1665 on Long Island. In 1989 Horse Racing was a multi- billion-dollar industry and the second largest attended sport after baseball. Currently there’s about 9 million horses in the USA and just over 10,00 in Delaware. The Thoroughbred Racing Commission Regulates and enforces rules to keep the sport safe and fair. Mark Davis explained the different ways many people and teams try to cheat financially or physically. There are many chemical ways to make horses run faster for longer. Horse betting and gambling are parting of the commission and keeping track of money. We were then showed how to read the pamphlets about horses at races.

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Delaware Livestock

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Dan Severson came in and told us about livestock in Delaware. Dan is the New Castle County Ag Extension Agent and a specialist in ruminants. Livestock in the United States is a lot lower than what it used to be. He showed us the decline started around 1920’s after World War 1 and during the great depression. People were leaving the farms for factory jobs which was just reinforced by the dust bowl and World War 2. The decline in livestock has leveled off but is lower than what it was. Did you know the USA has the most affordable, safest, and abundant food in the world? Delaware is a chicken state, growing chickens and the feed for them, so other live stock is not that big here. 296 of 2,500 farms in Delaware have combined total of 3,800 head of beef cattle. From the 28 dairy operations, Including our own UDairy, there’s 4,800 head of dairy cattle. There’re 5,800 hogs from 59 farms, 1040 sheep from 69 farms, and about 2,000 goats from about 175 DE farms. Dan who has his own herd of goats explained niche industries for livestock. There’s more live stock in Delaware than what you may think but we’re definitely more focused on chicken production.

Agriculture Careers, Production Agriculture

Dan Severson and The Livestock Industry

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Dan Severson’s guest lecture on the livestock industry covered all species of livestock used for production in Delaware. Growing up on a dairy farm and being very active in 4-H showing my dairy cattle I knew a little bit about the livestock industry. However Dan taught me some pretty interesting facts such as there’s a water buffalo farm in Delaware and that people raise rabbits for food production. I found these facts very eye-opening to how diverse the livestock industry in Delaware is and how many different opportunities there are for young people to get into the industry. I also learned that to be considered a farmer all you have to do is make a profit of $1,000 off your production. This surprises me because virtually anybody could be considered a farmer if they have a garden or a pasture because $1,000 is not really that much when you think about it. While Dan’s lecture was very informational it was also sad because when he talked about the dairy industry it really hit home. Coming from a farm that had milked cows for 150 years and sold out just 5 years ago I understand the sadness these dairy farmers are feeling. Luckily my family had diversified in agriculture and had expanded our grain operation but for many of these farmers their source of income is gone and their left helpless once the cows are sold. Overall I found Dan’s lecture to be very informative and I hope it helped some of the students in the class realize how hard farmers have it in the livestock industry.

Equine/Horse

Horse Racing Industry

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Guest speaker Mark Davis presented the class with a lecture on the horse racing industry in Delaware.  To me the most surprising and interesting fact was that horse racing has been around for centuries with little change overtime.  This is interesting because when you compare it to a sport like baseball, which has been around over a hundred years, it shows how much longer horse racing has existed.  There are a considerable amount of people involved in the horse industry, with about four and a half million people in the industry. The industry has a thirty nine billion dollar direct impact annually, which shows how lucrative it can be.  It was also surprising how much regulation goes into horse racing with different involved parties having to be licensed. The horses also must undergo go urine tests and blood tests for their protection and to ensure that no one is cheating. A lot of this regulation is because of the money that the industry generates, with statistics showing that the horse racing industry contributes about 182 million to the Delaware economy.

Equipment & Engineering, Field Trips-Tours

Hoober’s Field Trip

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The Hoober’s Equipment field trip was definitely the most interesting field trip for me so far.  Being able to see how a lot of the farm equipment operates and some of the technology behind the equipment was remarkable.  The most surprising part was how much the equipment costs, with a new Case IH combine coming in around half a million dollars.  It was also cool to see the drone technology and how it is used. The small drone that was demonstrated had the ability to track and follow the farm equipment and to actually get close enough to the ground to be able to count plants for the farmer.  Driving the sprayer was fun as well. With all of the technology, like the auto steer technology that uses GPS, it was surprisingly easy. The gentlemen that showed us around Hoober’s both stated that their favorite part of the job was being able to get out and assist farmers, specifically during planting season, which I can relate to because it gets them out and hands on instead of answering phone calls.  

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Livestock Industry

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Dan Severson presented the class with a guest lecture on the livestock industry and how it fits into the agricultural world.  An interesting background statistic he gave was that the United States had the most affordable food cost, with about seven percent of peoples annual salaries going to food.  We also have arguably the safest and most abundant food. Another background statistic he gave was that a farm is considered a farm if they have a thousand dollars in agricultural sales per year.  Mr. Severson provided us with information on the beef industry, hog industry, sheep industry, goat industry, and dairy industry, with insight on how each operates. There were also other smaller livestock industries he touched on such as bison and rabbits.  I think the most surprising thing to me was that there are very few dairy farms in Delaware. He also gave us some advice on if we were to pursue a job in the livestock industry, which was basically telling us that it would be wise to follow the trends. It is smart to find a niche market to operate in and to know your consumer.  

Ag Business, Livestock

Dan Severson on Livestock

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Dan Severson spoke to the class about the livestock industry in Delaware. He touched on something I found very important, the business part of the industry and how family farms will often create an LLC or corporation to protect their personal assets. He also went over the main historical events that contributed to agriculture today.

In terms of meat consumption, beef, pork, and poultry are the top three consumed. These are followed by lamb, veal, and goat. Something surprising to me is the consumption of goat meat in the US. I would have expected it to be a lot lower.  I thought it was interesting how diverse the beef farmers are in Delaware. Many people raise beef for more local markets, and they are small producers. We have a lot of direct market beef. Feed lots are typically more out west in the US.

Comparing how much we spend on food in the US to other countries is also surprising for many people. He gave the example of Russia spending about 30% of their income on food versus the US spending 11% total. Also, he made the point about how fortunate we are to have such diverse options year round.

Ag Business, Agriculture Careers, Agritourism, Equine/Horse

The Horse Racing Industry with Mark Davis

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For one of our classes, we had the privilege to listen o Mark Davis guest lecture on the horse industry in Delaware. He started out by giving some history on the sport of horse racing and how it has been around, in different forms, for hundreds of years. It was interesting to learn how to standards, rules, and regulations have changed over the years. Now, horse racing is very heavily regulated to ensure not only the safety of the horse, but the rider as well. I was very surprised when Mark pointed out that the horse industry’s a $39 billion effect on the US economy annually. That is a lot of money. Afterwards, he dove more directly into the history of horse racing in DE which started in the 1760’s.  Since than, he explained how many different commissions have formed as well as how to industry grew in DE.

Mark also talked a bit about the value of the Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds that are mainly used in the different types of racing. I can’t say that I was surprised to learn they are valued on average at $15,000-$20,000. I know the genetics of a good race horse can be highly valued, it is crazy to think that there are horses valued at even higher numbers. However, Mark showed us that if you own a good race horse you can win a decent amount of money on that investment.  All that’s said and done, the horse industry as a whole provides many job opportunities but also a way for higher income people to invest their money. The horse racing industry can range from being utilized as an investment tool, a job for some, or just a recreational event for others to watch.

Agritourism, Equine/Horse

Horse Racing with Mark Davis

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One of the oldest sports known to man, and once one of the most popular sports in the United States, horse racing is nothing less of a lost art in today’s society.  Mark Davis came in and talked to us about the industry, which surprisingly has a direct economic effect on the US of $39 billion annually. Of the 9,222,847 horses in the United States, 844,531 of them are dedicated to racing.  In the state of Delaware today, horse racing remains a relatively popular sport. Dating all the way back to 1760, the first racing facility was built in Newark, and the industry took off from there. It was super cool listening to Mr. Davis talk about his direct involvement in the industry, and his call to action in getting involved and educating ourselves and the people around us about horsing racing.  He went into detail about how the catalogues are read, ways of betting, and the different kinds of racing and horses involved. He shared tons of statistics with us and it was all around a really interesting lecture, one that I had no previous background knowledge on.

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THE LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY WITH DAN SEVERSON

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On October 22nd, 2018 we had a guest lecture by Dan Severson. He gave us a guest lecture on the livestock industry in Delaware. I found this lecture to be interesting since I’m from Delaware and have a lot of friends that raise livestock. I did find it interesting that Delaware ranks first in the U.S. in value of agriculture production per acre and number two in value per farm. Severson talked about data on beef, hogs, sheep, goats, poultry and dairy. He also mentioned that more than half of the farms are less than fifty acres. While talking about each livestock animal he talked about different kinds of production. He also went over different products for each livestock. For example, goats are used for meat and milk. The milk is used to make things like soap, ice cream, and Butterfinger Goat cheese Cheesecake. Another thing I found interesting is to be considered a farm it requires one to sell $1,000 of farm products a year. A lot of the other information I had heard about in other classes or from other guest lectures. He ended the lecture by talking about the future for the industry and mentioned a new technology which is robotic milking. In the end it was an interesting lecture filled with information on the livestock industry. Thank you, Dan Severson for giving us a guest lecture on the livestock industry in Delaware.

A Class Journal for UDel CANR AGRI 130