The Farmer & The Chef - Winners!
Chef Scalessa of Cafe Scalessa took 1st Place at this year's The Farmer & The Chef event on September 17 at the Riverfront Center. The Farmer and The Chef is a Buy From Your Neighbor event that serves as a key fundraiser for the March of Dimes. This year over 650 people attended and voted for their favorite chef-farmer pairings. Chef Scalessa was paired with CT Bartoli Mushrooms for his winning dish. 2nd Place went to Chefs Tony & VInce Immediato and Chef Oybkhan of Immerdiato's Catering paired with Willey Farms and Pwers Farm. There was a tie for 3rd Place between Delcastle High chhols Culinary Arts Students, paired with Kalmar Farms, and Chefs Alberti and Reynolds of Sodexho, paired with Pine HIll Farms and Shelbrook Hollow Farms.
Save the date for next year's event on September 16!
For more information on restaurants that serve locally grown foods, click here
Farmers Markets
The number of farmers markets in New Castle County has continued to grow, particulalry adding farmers markets in and around Wilmington. For a list of all the farmers markets and when they are open, click here |
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Supermarkets Selling New Castle County Produce
Want to know where you can buy Delaware-grown produce in your area?
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Farms Selling Their Own Produce
Want to know where you can go to buy produce directly from the farm?
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Buy From Your Neighbor
Here you will learn about New Castle County's Buy From Your Neighbor program and find information on:
Buying From Your Neighbor
Buy From Your Neighbor is a program begun by New Castle County Executive Chris Coons to encourage consumers, wholesalers, retailers and restaurants to seek out and purchase Delaware-grown products. Look and ask for Buy From Your Neighbor products where you shop.
It is vital that we maintain the viability of our local farms by supporting the purchase of locally-grown products. We want to send a message that farms are critical to the quality of life we cherish in the county.
A strong farm economy creates local jobs, provides nutritious food and preserves the close-knit communities of our state.
For more information on getting involved with Buy From Your Neighbor, contact Andrea Kreiner at akreiner@verizon.net or 302-423-2766. |
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New Castle County Farm Facts
| General Info |
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| Number of Farms |
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358 farms |
| Acres in Farmland |
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71,248 acres
(26.1% of the County) |
| Number of Farms Operated by Women |
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58 farms |
| Average Farm Size |
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199 acres |
| Number of Farms 500 Acres or More |
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38 farms |
| Average Age of Farm Operators |
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57.4 years old |
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| Animals |
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| Farms with Milk Cows |
11 farms |
1,013 cows |
| Farms with Cattle |
62 farms |
2,662 cattle |
| Farms with Hogs |
11 farms |
86 hogs |
| Farms with Sheep |
14 farms |
366 sheep |
| Number of Horses |
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3,600 horses |
| Commercial Horse Operations |
100 |
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| Non-Commercial Horse Operations |
200 |
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| Crops |
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| Orchards |
16 orchards |
42 acres |
| Produce Harvested |
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912 acres |
Asparagus, snap beans, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, cucumbers, garlic, herbs, okra, green onions, green peas, bell peppers, chili peppers, pumpkins, spinach, squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, turnips, turnip greens. |
| Grain Corn Harvested |
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17,456 acres |
| Soybean Harvested |
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29,720 acres |
| Wheat Harvested |
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12,029 acres |
| Barley Harvested |
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822 acres |
| Hay/Forage Harvested |
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5,115 acres |
Sources: 2002 Census of Agriculture, Delaware Dept. of Agriculture & National Agricultural Statistics Service/USDA.
2004 Delaware Equine Study, Delaware Dept. of Agriculture & National Agricultural Statistics Service/USDA. |
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Delaware Harvest Seasons
Want to buy some fresh Delaware-grown products but aren't sure what's available?
Want to know what's in season?
Check out the harvest schedules below for...
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Fun Farm Activities For Families and Groups
Want to know where to go to have some fun on the farm?
Check out the Delaware Agritourism Association website
 (http://www.defunonthefarm.org/)
Agritourism Site of the Month |
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