WHEREAS, America's agriculture sector safeguards our Nation's lands through sustainable management; ensures the health and safety of animals, plants, and people; provides a safe and abundant food supply; and facilitates opportunities for prosperity and economic development in rural America; and
WHEREAS, agriculture is a major staple of Delaware’s economy and an intrinsic aspect of its cultural history; and
WHEREAS, in 2022, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that Delaware has 520,000 acres of land operated for farm use, which is approximately one third of the state’s total area; and
WHEREAS, Delaware produces a range of agricultural products, including poultry, corn, soybeans, wheat, strawberries, apples, peaches, blueberries, cabbage, and other value-added products; and
WHEREAS, Delaware is a main center of chicken farming in the mid-Atlantic region, and chicken farmers in the Delmarva peninsula raised 601.1 million chickens, produced 4.4 billion pounds of chicken, and generated $4.4 billion in wholesale value in 2023; and
WHEREAS, Delaware is actively encouraging the growth of aquaculture in the Inland Bays through the Delaware Sea Grant; and
WHEREAS, Delaware has at least 23 community-run farmers markets, at least 91 farm stands, and at least 18 community supported agriculture programs operating throughout the state in 2024; and
WHEREAS, Delaware’s farmers markets exceeded 4 million dollars in sales for the first time in 2023, highlighting Delawareans preference to eat locally grown produce; and
WHEREAS, the State has permanently preserved over 150,000 acres of farmland through the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation to ensure that future generations of Delaware farmers have access to land; and
WHEREAS, National Agriculture Week
recognizes the unique and irreplaceable value that farmers, ranchers, foresters, farmworkers, and other agricultural stewards have contributed to our Nation's past and present.
NOW, THEREFORE:
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 152
nd
General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the General Assembly recognizes the invaluable contributions of Delaware’s agriculture sector to the state, and hereby recognizes the week of March 17 through March 23, 2024, as, “National Agriculture Week” in the State of Delaware.
