Farm Bureau News
Celebrating 75 Years!
Local Farmers Feeding Your Family
Sapp, Urian family honored at DFB's 75th anniversary gala
More than 400 farmers and friends of agriculture gathered Dec. 7 at Del Tech’s Terry Campus in Dover for the Delaware Farm Bureau’s 75th anniversary celebration.
DFB President Richard Wilkins welcomed them, saying, “Tonight we are offering images of the past, remembrances of our friends and family who have served before us, and honoring the accomplishments of Delaware agriculture that so many dedicated and courageous Farm Bureau members have tirelessly helped to make possible over the previous 75 years.”
Wilkins compared Farm Bureau’s advocacy work to planting seeds in the soil. With seeds, the rewards are evident at harvest within a few months. With advocating for what is good for farmers and agriculture, Wilkins said, “it is rare to be able to see the results in a single season…. Often it takes repetitive attempts before you can begin to influence the minds of those who are so unfamiliar with what we do.”
Recognized as special guests, Sen. Tom Carper led in an impromptu recitation of the preamble to the Constitution, and Gov. John Carney saluted the farmers, noting the number in attendance was extraordinary.
Congresswoman Lisa BluntRochester offered a toast, holding up a glass of apple cider provided by Fifer Orchards. She thanked the farmers and wished them strength and prosperity. “May the Farm Bureau be here another 75 years and more.”
Wilkins expressed appreciation to the many sponsors who generously helped make the gala possible, chief among them Nationwide Insurance and Corteva Agriscience.
Photos were displayed on video screens of county recipients of Distinguished Service to Agriculture Awards and Farm Family of the Year before the naming of the state Farm Bureau award winners.
Barbara Sapp was presented the DFB’s Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award. Sapp has served as chair of Sussex County and the state Women’s Committee and other committees within Delaware Farm Bureau. She was a member of Delaware’s original Nutrient Management Commission and was one of the first two women to receive the Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service to Delaware Agriculture, along
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
At right, Delaware Farm Bureau President Richard Wilkins, left, presented the DFB Farm Family of the Year for 2019 to the Mark Urian family. Seated are Mark and Sandy Urian; behind them are their son Jacob and his wife, Melissa.
Obviously pleased and surprised, Barbara Sapp heads to the podium to accept Delaware Farm Bureau's "Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award" for 2019.
From the President’s desk
Delaware Farm Bureau
President Richard Wilkins
For the sake of time, my remarks at the Delaware Farm Bureau’s annual meeting Dec. 3 were held to a minimum. That doesn’t mean I have not been working on your behalf, as has Delaware Farm Bureau.
We take pride in our accomplishments this year. I would say the top three are:
• Acquiring grain bin rescue equipment and training for Harrington Fire Department with the support of Nationwide Agent Billy Staples and Schiff Farms Inc., because it provides live-saving equipment that we hope will never be used. We want to try to get rescue equipment for a fire department in upper Kent or lower New Castle County next year.
• Having our 75th anniversary year recognized by a tribute from the Governor and Lt. Governor and another from the State Senate and culminating the year with a successful gala event that had more than 400 in attendance.
• Helping advance a successful legislative agenda that helped to preserve our farmers’ freedom to
Delaware Farm Bureau News
Editor Carol Kinsley carol.kinsley@defb.org Graphics/Production Designer Heather Kline heather.kline@defb.org 302-697-3183
Delaware Farm Bureau News (ISSN 10770798), published in Camden, DE, bimonthly, by Delaware Farm Bureau. Production by Delaware Printing Company. Periodicals postage paid at Camden, DE and additional offices.
Business and Editorial Offices: 3457 S. DuPont Highway, Camden, DE 19934, 302-697-3183.
Any editorial material may be reproduced with credit to this publication.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Delaware Farm Bureau News at the office above.
Subscription price to members (paid as part of Farm Bureau membership dues) is $1.60. All other subscriptions are $6.50 per year.
operate. We will continue to advocate for legislation that does not harm the agriculture sector during the second half of the legislative session.
Sometimes it is not new legislation that gets passed that matters to farmers, but legislation that is prevented from passage. An example is the minimum wage bill. DFB joined in with a multitude of others to provide testimony at the Senate Labor Committee hearing as to the negative impacts that raising the mandatory minimum wage would impose. Even so, the Senate Labor Committee forwarded the bill out of committee. Sen. David McBride, president pro tempore of the Senate, required that a fiscal note be attached to the bill, giving the estimated cost of the bill to Delaware government. The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Darius Brown, didn’t have a fiscal note attached. He testified at the hearing it was not necessary. McBride thought otherwise. He reassigned the bill to the Senate Finance Committee, so it didn’t get passed this year.
There are two other bills that I am happy with what we were able to do. They were very similar bills. One would give to Kent County Levy Court, the other to Sussex County Council, permission to draft ordinances pertaining to property maintenance. What we worked diligently on was to have each bill amended to exempt “farm properties” from them. This would preclude, for example, a code enforcement officer deciding your barn needs a fresh coat of paint.
A year ago, we discussed increasing the “size of the tent” — making room for all different types of agriculture to be represented or included in Farm Bureau. For example, there are folks who work in agriculture, stakeholders whose livelihoods are dependent on production ag although they are not producers themselves. The process of creating an additional class of membership for “professionally engaged agriculturalists” is part of that. But on this journey of continuous improvement, we still have room to improve in our addition of the other segments of agriculture, such as landscapers, aquaculture, equine operations and direct-to-consumer producers.
We also need to fortify the mes-
sage of the importance of Farm Bureau to the new generations of farmers who have taken over the operations of their parents and grandparents. I think a lot of what has happened is, when children move out from under the roof of their parents, if they have never been involved in Farm Bureau activities, they’ll never know what Farm Bureau does. They could have been working on a farm, but if their parents or grandparents never told them about the organization … they need have their own Farm Bureau membership.
The way our membership is set up, children are a part of membership as long as they are living in their parents’ immediate household. They are entitled to all the benefits of membership, but the family gets only one vote per household.
Increasing the size of the tent increases the base of potential members we can draw upon.
I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Nationwide Insurance Company for its continuous assistance in helping Delaware Farm Bureau to achieve its successes. Because Nationwide is led by a board of directors which consists of many farmers and agriculturalists, they have a brilliant perception of what agriculture and Farm Bureau’s needs and desires are.
Although Delaware is a small state, being part of the American Farm Bureau Federation, a federation of 50 other states and territories (Puerto Rico), amplifies the voice of agriculture here and across the nation. Our small delegation will soon travel to Austin, Texas, to take part in AFBF’s annual convention.
I urge you, as members of Delaware Farm Bureau, to take part in all of our activities, such as the following:
On Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. in Legislative Hall in Dover, the Delaware Farm Bureau will be honored with a Tribute from the House of Representatives on the 75th Anniversary of our organization. If you can join us, call the Farm Bureau office at (302) 697-3183 by Friday, Jan. 24. This event which is sponsored by Farm Bureau member, State Rep. Charles Postles.
DFB votes to accept new category of voting members
The Delaware Farm Bureau convened its annual meeting Dec. 3 at Modern Maturity in Dover with 64 delegates seated. The delegates approved a few changes to the organization’s bylaws, including a change in the designation of non-farmer members to “farm community members.” Another change removes the requirement that only voting members may serve on committees, and yet another adds an additional class of “professionally engaged voting members,” recognizing Delawareans who want to be involved “because they simply love agriculture.” Members in this new designation will include those “professionally engaged in an agriculturally related career (as defined by the Board of Directors) which supports the production of agricultural products.”
Georgetown farmer Jay Baxter offered, in absentia, comments on the bylaws changes: “I have been reluctant to see major change come to Sussex County and Delaware Farm Bureau; after all, I am James H. Baxter IV. My grandfather spent countless hours, two generations ago, to help build the membership of Delaware Farm Bureau into what we have today. Now it is our turn.
“As we continue to build this grassroots organization, we must not hinder positive, responsible
growth. As you study these bylaw changes, please consider the opportunity we have. We have the chance to tap into a flowing spring of wisdom and knowledge from our neighbors who are involved in agriculture but are not necessarily ‘bona fide farmers.’ If properly vetted and maintained, these peers will help solidify our cause. The key is that we the farmers strategically maintain a majority and vet these relationships. These individuals hold an opportunity to reach our neighbors and help support agriculture and a rural way of life which is crucial for us to pass on a viable, flourishing ag economy to our children.”
A fourth amendment changes the word “chairman” to “chair” anywhere it is used in the by-laws and deletes the words “as members ex-officio thereof” in Article III regarding the Board of Directors. The reason: because those words “contradict the section’s intent that states these state chairs ‘shall possess and may exercise all the powers of the director.’”
reach nearly 7,000 members! Contact Heather Kline at (302) 697-3183 or heather.kline@defb.org for more information!
Several resolutions amended the DFB’s policy book. One called for creation of a Delaware Deer Damage Task Force “to study and make recommendations of ways to decrease the white-tailed deer damage in Delaware.” Another urges the state to undertake a “thorough measurement of the population and distribution of property-destroying wildlife within the state” including white-tailed deer, sika deer, resident Canada geese and snow geese. Delegates also resolved to urge the state “to allow the use of the semi-automatic platform of modern sporting rifles as permitted weapons for the harvest of deer on private land permitted under Deer Damage Assistance Programs.”
Finally, delegates approved a resolution to support specific state legislation to clearly protect agri-tourism operators from frivolous lawsuits.
Robert Garey, who has served more than 20 years on the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation, asked delegates to help spread the word that several young farmers who have already qualified for loans under the Young Farmers and Ranchers Program are looking for land to purchase.
As of Round 24, more than
1,000 farms have sold development rights, totaling some 134,000 acres, Garey said. He noted that organizers of a new program to help young farmers and ranchers get started had not foreseen the situation that exists today. Several young farmers who meet all the requirements have been pre-qualified for a loan, but cannot find land to buy.
“My push now, our push, is to try to find people up in age who
presented a $10,000 check to the
Walter Hopkins, left, chair of Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement,
Delaware Farm Bureau Foundation for the Ag Lab, accepted by DFB Foundation ChairPresident Richard Wilkins.
DFB votes to accept ...
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 don’t have someone to turn the farm over to, to tell them they do have the opportunity to sell their farm to this prospective new farmer, and their farm will be preserved in perpetuity,” Garey said.
“I’m asking you and whoever we can spread the word to, to let them know there are young people out there with experience who want to have a farm.”
Farmer Ernie Vogl asked why there is so much misconception with attorneys and realtors telling prospective buyers they can buy their way out of agland preservation. “Do you know of any case where land was bought back?” Vogl asked.
Garey explained that originally there was a way, if it were deemed that it was no longer feasible to farm the land, “but that ended. It hasn’t been possible in the last 25 years,” he said.
“Everybody should understand you’ve given up something and you’re not be able to reproduce it. Some people think money will get you anything, but not unless something happens long after I’m gone.”
Garey also said sellers would not have to wait for Round 25 to sell.
“I insisted we set aside a money portion of the appropriation for the Young Farmer and Rancher Program.” If an individual qualifies, he or she can make the transition when the ground is available.
DFB President Richard Wilkins added, “having access to land is the biggest obstacle” for those with a burning desire to get into farming.
Jackie King of King Crop Insurance then challenged every delegate to “ask everyone involved in agriculture to become a member of this great organization.”
Stewart Ramsey, New Castle County Farm Bureau president,
shared with attendees how the county and state Farm Bureau had rallied around New Castle County farmers who were challenged with “inordinately high” taxes on new farm structures. Taxes were lowered by 75 percent on poultry houses on at least two farms. “If we’re going to make progress on really important issues, we’ve got to stay with Farm Bureau,” Ramsey said.
Awards were given to three retiring members of the DFB Board of Directors: Sandy Virdin, Kent County Women’s Committee chair; Dale Phillips, Sussex County President; and Fred Stites, New Castle County representative to the Board.
An award for Nationwide Top Farm Policy Writer was presented to Jules Hendrix, owner of Crow Insurance Agency Inc.
Walter Hopkins, chair of Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement, presented a check for $10,000 to the Delaware Farm Bureau Foundation to be used for the Ag Lab. Richard Wilkins, Foundation chair, accepted the donation. This is the second such donation Farm Credit has given the Foundation.
Guest Speaker was Dr. John Newton, chief economist at American Farm Bureau Federation, who provided an overview of the farm economy in 2019, which he called "one heck of a year." While a report projected farm income to be $92.5 billion, Newton said, “If you take federal payments off, it’s $70 billion, slightly below the 20-year average."
Joseph Poppiti, who assumed the position of DFB executive direc-
tor last December, reported on his first year.
Membership is the biggest challenge, he said. Government regulation has resulted in a loss of non-voting members’ discounts on Nationwide personal lines policies. Poppiti said DFB is working with several other state Farm Bureaus on strategies for building membership.
DFB also has worked to implement the new financial rules for non-profits. “They do make sense,” he said. “It’s a good way to track how we spend money at Farm Bureau.”
Awards were given to three retiring members of the Delaware Farm Bureau Board of Directors, at left, Dale Phillips, Sussex County president; above, Fred Stites, New Castle County representative to the Board with First Vice President Laura Hill; and at right, Sandy Virdin, Kent County Women’s Committee chair.
The organization recently received a $39,000 USDA specialty crop grant through the Delaware Department of Agriculture to promote Delaware ag products in 2020 and 2021. Also, in cooperation with Nationwide, DFB was able to get a grain bin rescue tube for Harrington Fire Company. “We would like to partner with someone to get another rescue tube for southern New Castle County or northern Kent County,” Poppiti said.
He continued with other successes, including increased presence on social media and in newspaper, radio and television reports. Funds raised at the 5K Milk Run made possible a $10,000 donation to the Ministry of Caring to provide milk for children and a donation of $5,856 to the Delaware Food Bank for its backpack program for at-risk kids.
Delegates chosen for the AFBF convention were Richard Wilkins, with First Vice President Laura Hill as alternate. The Women’s Committee will send its chair, Mary Bea Gooden, with Connie Fox as alternate.
Dr. John Newton
NRCS wants your comments on two sets of interim rules
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service seeks public comments on two interim rules. The first is on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) which helps producers plan and implement 150-plus conservation practices on working lands. The rule, now available on the Federal Register, took effect upon publication and includes changes to the program prescribed by the 2018 Farm Bill.
“EQIP gives farmers, ranchers and forest landowners the tools they need to improve their agricultural operations while conserving natural resources,” said NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr. “The 2018 Farm Bill further strengthens this popular conservation program to enable NRCS to better support locally led conservation efforts while also expanding producers’ ability to address significant resource concerns.”
NRCS will make available $1.2 billion nationwide for interested producers in fiscal 2020. NRCS state offices will announce signup periods for EQIP soon.
Changes to EQIP include:
• Creating incentive contracts and payments for incentive practices to better support locally led conservation needs.
• Requiring NRCS to offer an advance payment option for historically underserved producers.
• Raising the payment cap for producers participating in the Organic Initiative to $140,000 for contracts entered into between fiscal 2019 through 2023.
• Expanding the Conservation Innovation Grant program, which is funded through EQIP, to include opportunities for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials and Soil Health Demonstration Trials.
The 2018 Farm Bill created incentive contracts, which address up to three priority resource concerns within targeted watersheds and other high priority landscapes. While typical EQIP contracts last five years, these contracts last five to 10 years.
The Farm Bill also enabled increased payments for priority practices, through which NRCS can designate up to 10 practices in each state to receive the higher rates.
NRCS invites comments on this
interim rule through Feb. 17, 2020. Electronic comments must be submitted through regulations.gov under Docket ID NRCS-2019-0009.
ACEP interim rule
NRCS also seeks public comments on its interim rule for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. ACEP is USDA’s premier conservation easement program, helping landowners protect working agricultural lands and wetlands. The rule – now available on the Federal Register – takes effect on publication and includes changes to the program prescribed by the 2018 Farm Bill.
“Through easements, agricultural landowners are protecting agricultural lands from development, restoring grazing lands and returning wetlands to their natural conditions,” NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr said. “The new changes to ACEP under the 2018 Farm Bill make it stronger and more effective and will result in even better protection of our nation’s farmlands, grasslands and wetlands.”
NRCS is investing more than $300 million in conservation easements for fiscal 2020. NRCS state offices will announce signup periods for ACEP in the coming weeks.
Changes to ACEP for agricultural land easements include:
• Authorizing assistance to partners who pursue “Buy-ProtectSell” transactions.
• Requiring a conservation plan for highly erodible land that will be protected by an agricultural land easement.
• Increasing flexibility for partners to meet cost-share matching requirements.
Changes to ACEP for wetland reserve easements include:
• Identifying water quality as a program purpose for enrollment of wetland reserve easements.
• Expanding wetland types eligible for restoration and management under wetland reserve easements.
“Conservation easements have a tremendous footprint in the U.S. with nearly 5 million acres already enrolled. That’s 58,000 square miles,” Lohr said. “This is a great testament to NRCS’s and landowner’s commitment to conservation.”
NRCS invites comments on this interim rule through March 6. Electronic comments must be submit-
ted through regulations.gov under Docket ID NRCS-2019-0006.
All written comments received on either interim rule will be publicly available on the website.
NRCS will evaluate public comments on these rules to determine whether additional changes are needed. The agency plans to publish a final rule following public comment review.
ACEP aids landowners and eli-
gible entities with conserving, restoring and protecting wetlands, productive agricultural lands and grasslands. NRCS accepts ACEP applications year-round, but applications are ranked and funded by enrollment periods that are set locally.
For more information on how to sign up for EQIP or ACEP, visit www.de.nrcs.usda.gov or contact your local NRCS field office.
Update on Bonnie Duvall’s health
American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall sent out the following personal message on Dec. 28 about his wife, Bonnie, who has been battling cancer:
“You’re all so important to Bonnie and me, so we want to update you on Bonnie’s health. Feel free to share this update with others in your state.
“Over the past week, Bonnie has had a lot of problems with her kidneys and she spent Christmas in the hospital. The doctors have sent her home to make her comfortable with hospice care, and all of our children and their families gathered around.
“We’ve always been in God’s hands, and we realize that more now than ever. Thank you again for keeping our family in your thoughts and prayers. We hope you had a blessed Christmas.” Cards and notes may be sent to the Duvalls via the AFBF office, 600 Maryland Avenue SW, Suite 1000 W, Washington, D.C. 20024.
Danielle Bauer named executive director of Delaware Soybean Board
Danielle Bauer was named executive director of the Delaware Soybean Board in October. She serves a similar position for the Maryland Soybean Board.
Bauer replaces former executive director Susanne Zilberfarb, who served both boards as executive director for several years.
“Bauer’s dedication to the agriculture industry is commendable,” stated Delaware Soybean Board Chair Cory Atkins. “The Board of Directors is excited to have someone with her knowledge and passion working with our soybean farmers.”
Bauer previously was with Thompson Ag Consulting, working with a variety of agricultural and natural resource organizations. There she gained experience working with commodity groups and checkoff programs. She is a graduate of LEAD Maryland, Wheat Industry Leaders of Tomorrow, and completed the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Communications Boot Camp.
Bauer grew up on a farm in Dayton, a small town in Howard
County, Md. She developed a passion for agriculture as a youngster.
“My friends knew nothing about farming,” she said. “I would invite them to our farm where we had hogs and beef cattle and grew grain and pick-your-own strawberries."
On graduation from West Virginia University, where she studied agriculture and natural resources, she still was not sure what she wanted to do for a career. Her father’s insurance agent was an alumus of the university and offered her a position at Farm Family Insurance in Frederick, Md. She worked there about 18 months, but decided, she said, “It was not my cup of tea.”
She found Lynne Hoot, whose company served several ag groups, and accepted a position there, working with Lyndsay Thompson, who created her own consulting firm when Hoot retired.
“I was there three years,” Bauer said. “When I saw that the soybean boards needed help, I applied. That opportunity does not come up every day.”
With her experience and passion for checkoff programs, Bauer
was a good fit. She had two separate interviews, but said it was a natural fit for one person to serve both boards. Next month she will also assume the position of executive director of the Atlantic Soybean Council, a regional cooperative that funds research projects through the soybean checkoff.
“The United Soybean Board had an initiative a few years back to start a regional program,” she explained. The states — Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and New York — work together on research that benefits the whole area.
Bauer is also involved with her local Farm Bureau, county fair and Agriculture Education Advisory Committee.
“My experience in farming in an urban community gave me a unique perspective on agriculture. I want to help farmers become more successful as our area becomes more organized.”
The Delaware Soybean Board consists of nine farmer-directors and the Secretary of Agriculture.
The checkoff of 0.5 percent assessment on the net market value of soybeans at their first point of sale funds research and work with partners in the value chain to identify and capture opportunities that increase farmer profit potential.
Delaware farmers plant about 180,000 acres of soybeans each year and the crop generates approximately $60 million in value to the state.
Blue Jacket Bonanza applications due Jan. 31
Delaware high school FFA students have the opportunity to own their very own blue jacket through the Blue Jacket Bonanza Program at Delaware Farm Bureau.
The Blue Jacket Bonanza Program was developed to provide high school students involved in the FFA, who do not have the financial means, a chance to earn their own blue jacket.
A jacket will be awarded on a one-time basis per student. To be awarded a jacket, students are required to complete an application process which entails a written essay, a letter of reference, and evidence of community service.
Blue Jacket Bonanza applications are due in the Delaware Farm Bureau office at 3457 S. DuPont Highway in Camden by 4 p.m., closing time, on Jan. 31. Download an application at https://defb.org/programs/ or call (302) 697-3183.
Scholarships available from Women's Committee, YF&R
Each year the Delaware Farm Bureau Women’s Committee awards scholarships to students in the agricultural and non-agricultural field. The State committee awards a $2,500 scholarship and each county committee awards a $1,000 scholarship. Applications must be typed.
The Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee also awards a scholarship to deserving high school seniors whose parents or grandparents are members in good standing of the Delaware Farm Bureau. Applications must be typed, not handwritten.
All of the 2020 YF&R Scholarship applications will be available on the Delaware Farm Bureau website, defb.org, in the near future.
YF&R heads for conference in Louisville in March
Seven members of the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee will meet with Kali Voshell, Delaware Farm Bureau’s YF&R coordinator, to make plans to attend the 2020 YF&R Leadership Conference scheduled March 13 through 16 in Louisville, Ky.
Anyone else who is interested in joining the group should call Voshell at (302) 697-3183 or send an email to kali.voshell@defb.org.
Save the date: Del. Ag Safety Conference March 11
The fourth annual Delaware Ag Safety Conference, sponsored by Delaware Farm Bureau will be held March 11. Details will be announced soon. Please mark your calendars now!
Department of Ag honors five more Century Farms
The Delaware Department of Agriculture recently honored five farm families for their continued commitment to farming the same land for a century or more.
“I don’t think many people realize how few farms there are across the United States that have actually have been in the same farm family for 100 years,” said Delaware Ag Secretary Michael T. Scuse. “For us to have 148 farms after today is a tremendous accomplishment for any state, let alone a state the size of Delaware. I want to commend these families for being able to keep the farm in the family.”
The Delaware Century Farm Program was established in 1987 to honor farm families who have owned and farmed their land for at least 100 years. The farms must include at least 10 acres of the original parcel or gross more than $10,000 annually in agricultural sales. Delaware Century Farm families receive a sign for their farms, an engraved plate, a certificate and legislative tributes.
Deputy Ag Secretary Austin Short, said, “This is an opportunity to recognize Delaware farm families who have persevered through not just one year of farming, which can be bad enough, but over 100 years of farming and all that goes with it. From drought to floods to bad prices to pests to inheritance taxes to try and figure out a way to pass a farm from one generation to another — all of these are challenges that these five farm families have faced. In today’s society when so many small businesses seldom last as long as one or two generations, to see how these farm families have stayed in business and farming for over 100 years is quite an accomplishment and well worth celebrating.”
2019 Delaware Century Farm Awardees are:
Patricia Warren Carlson and family are recognized for their 477-acre family farm in Felton.
In 1876, John M. Warren purchased at auction for $3,600 his deceased father’s 477-acre farm after finding that no deed was ever recorded for it. In 1941, a grandson, Albert, obtained full ownership of the entire farm, which was left to his wife, Elva, in 1982 before entering into a family trust in
2011. Upon Elva’s death, the farm passed to her daughter, Patricia Warren Carlson, who then placed the farm into her trust.
Principal crops grown on the farm have been grains. The family has traced the land’s history to a land grant issued by Delaware’s colonial proprietor, William Penn.
Wayne C. and Nancy J. Carmean and family are recognized for their 50-acre farm in Millsboro.
In 1919, John C. Carmean purchased this 50-acre parcel for $1,350. In 1966, his widow transferred her interest to their seven children and their spouses. In 1977, grandson Wayne C. Carmean and his wife, Nancy, purchased the farm from the remaining family members. The farm has mainly produced grains.
Granville L. and Dorothy B. Conaway and family are recognized for their 114-acre farm near Georgetown.
Minos T. Conaway purchased the original 115-acre farm at a sheriff sale in 1894 for $1,000. When he died in 1910, the farm was passed to his widow and their six children.
In 1942, Minos’ son Raymond, and his wife, Vertia, purchased most of the farm from his mother and his siblings. In 1957, Raymond and Vertia transferred the farm to their son, Granville L. Conaway, and his wife. The family has grown corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, watermelons, timber and broilers. The family has grown their operation to encompass nearly 2,000 acres.
The Truitt family is recognized for the 133-acre farm now known as Lin-Lo Farms in Seaford.
In 1900, Harvey L. Truitt purchased a farm of 133-plus acres from Ann J. Williams for $1,500. Following Harvey’s death, the farm transferred to his wife, then to their son, and then to their grandson, Howard Melvin Truitt. Howard became the farm’s sole owner in 1982 and the next year transferred the farm to Lin-Lo Farms Inc. in which he and his two daughters, Linda and Lois, are the members. Over the years, the Truitt family has grown a variety of crops including fruits and vegetables, wheat, corn, soybeans, barley, and hay. The family has also raised chickens, cows, and hogs. The family has expanded this farm to more than 400 acres.
The Webb family is recognized for their 34-acre farm located west of Ellendale.
The family has owned this wooded parcel since 1898. It is believed to be part of a larger parcel of land the family has owned since before 1884, when eight farms totaling 1,124 acres were transferred to Henry Deputy's widow and their five children. In 1898, their son Samuel and his wife transferred the 34-acre woodlot to Samuel’s older brother, William. When William died in 1920, this woodlot and other lands, were divided into five contiguous tracts of land and given jointly to his sons – William Henry and Charles Frederick. In 1962, the five tracts of land were split between the brothers and their families. Charles Frederick and his wife received Tracts 3, 4 and 5, with tract 5 being the 34-acre woodlot. In 1964, Charles Frederick transferred the three tracts to his niece, Viva Webb, and her husband. In 1991, the entire farm was placed into a family trust. In 2018 the entire farm was transferred to Webb Family Farms LLC, which is comprised of Webb’s four
great-granddaughters.
The woodlot has remained in forestland throughout the family’s ownership.
DFB receives USDA specialty crop grant
Delaware Farm Bureau has received its fourth USDA grant through the Delaware Department of Agriculture for the purpose of enhancing the competitiveness of Delaware specialty crops. Those crops include fruits, vegetables, herbs and Christmas trees.
Past grants have funded a billboard campaign to help farm markets, an advertising campaign to promote fruits and vegetables in season and the purchase of “ag correct” books on specialty crops to be included in the Book Barn campaign.
This most recent grant in the amount of $39,000 will cover a digital advertising effort over the next two years, marketing Delaware’s specialty crops via social media, digital audio, web banners and location-based targeting displays starting in April 2020.
75th anniversary gala ...
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
with Laura Hill, now DFB’s first vice president. The award was presented by then Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee in 2014.
She and her husband, Richard, have farmed in Milton for 60 years, with the help, in recent
years, of their son, Richard Jr., and grandson Richard III (“Trey”).
The honor of being selected as 2019 DFB Farm Family of the Year went to the Mark Urian family of Clayton, Del. While still in high school, Mark farmed the family’s land after the death of his fa-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
A bountiful selection of Delaware-produced foods, many of them donated, was prepared by BNL Cafe. Donations were also made by local wineries, breweries and Pepsi Cola.
Above, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt-Rochester proposed a toast to Delaware Farm Bureau to kick off the festivities. Apple cider for all was provided by Fifer Orchards.
At right, Craig Adams, owner of Adams Farms in Ohio, is a member of the board of directors of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Adams wrapped up the formal part of Delaware Farm Bureau's 75th anniversary celebration.
Delaware Farm Bureau Women's Committee Chair Mary Bea Gooden presents a plaque to Shannon O'Hara, 2019-2020 DFB Ambassador, who began her duties in July.
and
Michael Lynch, left, was named 2019 Outstanding Young Farmers and Ranchers Member
Robert Garey, right, Outstanding YF&R supporter. Presenting the awards was Ted Bobola, YF&R chair.
Photos by Elisabeth Ann Photography
75th anniversary gala ...
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
ther, Charles, who had purchased the farm with his wife, Mary, in 1962. When grown, Mark worked both on and off the farm. He and his wife, Sandy, raised three children who also love agriculture.
Their son Jacob is now Kent County Farm Bureau President. He and his wife, Melissa, are currently working to grow the beef operation. Jacob has been diligently working to pick up more ground in the last few years and helps his uncle farming whenever possible.
Mary Urian, who helped start this family farming legacy, turned 100 years old in 2019 and still lives at the edge of the family farm.
Ted Bobola presented awards from the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee. Robert Garey was named Supporter of the Year. Michael Lynch received the YF&R Member of the Year Award.
Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Delaware Ag Secretary Michael Scuse, who thanked Farm Bureau “on behalf of all the farmers in Delaware for all the work you’ve done.”
Before and during dinner, attendees bid generously in a silent auction to benefit the YF&R Committee. Nationwide matched $1,000 worth of bids. Attendees also had the opportunity to sponsor colorful, educational books about farm equipment to be placed in elementary schools along with
Book Barns and other “ag correct” books. DFB’s Promotion and Education Committee has a goal of placing a set of books with a barnshaped bookcase in every elementary school in the state by the end of next year.
J.T. Robbins conducted a live auction of several items including a Henry Lever-Action 22 repeating rifle engraved with the 75th anniversary logo, a Farm Bureau specialty license plate No. 75 donated by Clifford Short Insurance, an hour-long helicopter ride for three donated by Chorman Spraying LLC, aerial spraying or seeding valued at $1,000 given by First State Ag Air Inc. and a sweet potato pie baked by Barbara Sapp. Nationwide matched the $200 winning bid for the pie. Secretary Scuse joined in the action, egging on bidders and eventually taking over auctioneer duties. Scuse drove bidding for a “Murder Mystery Dinner for Eight” to be catered by the King sisters of King Crop Insurance to a winning bid of $1,600, which will benefit the YF&R.
Craig Adams, owner of Adams Farms in Ohio and a member of the board of directors of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, wrapped up the formal part of the evening with brief remarks.
The celebration continued into the evening with musical entertainment by the Indian River Band.
Biosecurity concerns cancel poultry sessions at Ag Week
Out of an abundance of caution, organizers cancelled the poultry sessions and small flock programs during Delaware Ag week due to the presence of Infectious Coryza in a handful of flocks.
Infectious coryza is a well-recognized and commonly encountered upper respiratory tract disease of chickens that is caused by the bacterium Haemophilus paragallinarum.
Poultry growers should always take proper biosecurity measures to protect their farm, fellow poultry growers and the entire industry.
You can sponsor 'Casey & Friends' books for schools
Anyone who did not have the opportunity at the Delaware Farm Bureau annual meeting or 75th anniversary celebration may sponsor a single book or a set of six from the Case IH series of 'Casey & Friends' books for children to be included with Book Barns to be placed in elementary school libraries by DFB's Promotion & Education Committee. Books are $10 and you are welcome to inscribe (or dictate) a message for the inside front cover. Contact Heather Kline at heather.kline@defb. org or call (302) 697-3183.
Carol Kinsley retires as editor, PR coordinator
For 40 years, I have written about agriculture on the Delmarva Peninsula. For a decade or two, after Sharon Morgan gave up writing for The Delmarva Farmer, I have covered Delaware agriculture and attended many Delaware Farm Bureau meetings and banquets. I have gotten to know many farmers, educators and ag officials, and I enjoy seeing them year after year.
In 2016, then DFB Executive Director Pam Bakerian asked if I’d come in to talk. I was flattered to hear what then President Kitty Holtz said about our meeting: “We were very aware of the quality of Carol’s reporting and the respect she had earned within the agricultural community. We were looking for someone to write articles for us. We knew it would be a perfect
fit and were very thrilled when she agreed to work part time for us.”
They truly surprised me by offering me a job as public relations coordinator and editor of the DFB bi-monthly newspaper. As I had by then retired from responsibilities as editor at American Farm Publications, I agreed.
I promised to stay at least a year, and it has been more than three. I’m well past retirement age, and I have other things I need to do, want to do, before it’s too late. So I’m going to try again to retire. Kitty said, “Carol’s dedication and professionalism will be greatly missed by Delaware Farm Bureau,” but I’ll still be around — and glad to help whenever I can.
— Carol
Kinsley
Representatives of Delaware's FFA enjoyed the music of the Indian River Band at Delaware Farm Bureau's 75th anniversary gala.
The King sisters — from left: Jackie, Donna, Bonny and Nancy — and Zach Schmitt offered at auction a "Murder Mystery Dinner for Eight" which brought $1,600 to benefit the Young Farmers and Ranchers.
Meet your farmer: Steve Breeding
Steve Breeding has been a farmer all his life. “It’s all I ever wanted to do,” he said. He even switched high schools from Seaford to Woodbridge in Greenwood so he could be in FFA. Seaford didn’t have an FFA program at the time.
Breeding's sister-in-law, Karen Breeding, teaches in the ag program at Woodbridge now. His brother, Chris, is in equipment
sales at Binkley and Hurst and works on the farm when he can.
Breeding’s great-grandparents and grandparents had a dairy farm which they converted to beef cattle. His father, Ron Breeding, was not a farmer, but worked for the city. His mother, however, works with Breeding on the farm every day. “She out works me most days,” he said. “She does every-
thing from feeding to moving cattle. The only thing she won’t do is drive the loader. Without her, things wouldn’t roll.”
Breeding has downsized the cattle operation on the 50-acre farm west of Seaford to a dozen registered black Angus cows.
Meanwhile, he has increased the sheep operation. The Breedings raise lambs for 4-Hers to show at the Delaware State fair. They hold an open house in April when 4-Hers can purchase and take home their lambs. There are about forty club lamb ewes for fair lambs and the number of feeder lambs varies depending on time of year.
“Our big family thing is the fair. If we’re not at the fair, we talk about it at least once a day. I’ve shown cattle — never sheep — at the fair for 30 years or more.”
Breeding is getting into a new venture with a farmer in western Maryland.
“Our goal is to raise 150 to 200 lambs per year for him. He lambs four times a year. Once they are weaned, the lambs will come here
and we will keep them 45 to 60 days, until they are about 6 months old.” Then they will be sold to a packer in Pennsylvania.
Breeding met the farmer at a meeting of the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association. He is also active in the Maryland Sheep Producers Association and is on the Delaware Beef Producers Advisory Board. In addition, he is an alum of LEADelaware class 5.
Breeding is also involved in the Delaware Farm Bureau. Now Sussex County Farm Bureau president, he has been a member of the Young Farmers and Ranchers and was a county representative on the board of directors for 10 years.
About 15 years ago, he said, a friend said, “Let’s go to the YF&R meeting,” and it’s stuck ever since.
When not at a Farm Bureau or other organization meeting, Breeding does a lot of shearing of sheep in the spring, all up and down the Eastern Shore and the East Coast. “I’ve been doing that since right out of high school — for 15 to 20 years,” he said.
Jules Hendrix honored by Delaware Farm Bureau as "Top Farm Policy Writer'
Jules Hendrix, owner of Crow Insurance Agency Inc., accepted the 2019 “Top Farm Policy Writer for Delaware Farm Bureau State Award” on behalf of her agency at the Delaware Farm Bureau’s annual meeting Dec. 3 in Dover. The plaque read, “In appreciation of your dedicated service to the Delaware Farm Bureau and for securing the future of our farms.”
At last year’s annual meeting, Roy Crow announced his retirement, saying Hendrix would be the new owner of the Crow Agency as of Jan. 1, 2019, and that he would work for her. His agency had sold more than $101,000 in farm policies in 2018, and was recognized by DFB as the second place top selling agency after the Scott Carey Agency.
Hendrix grew up in Pennsylvania. She earned a degree in political science and environmental studies at the University of Wisconsin and then got her master’s degree in horticulture and agronomy at the University of California-Davis. After graduate school,
she found opportunities for working on farms and ranches throughout northern California.
Hendrix moved back to the East Coast 10 years ago, settling in Chestertown, Md., with her husband, Paul.
“I met Roy Crow, who had a farm and an agency, and he guided me into the insurance world, focusing on agriculture and ag operations,” Hendrix said. She was pleased to be able to connect with the local ag community.
“I feel blessed to have made some good strides in 10 years,” she said. “I took over the agency a year ago. We kept the same name and are continuing the ag focus. I have an amazing staff of 10. All of my associate producers are either current farmers or have a farming background. We have the ability to connect to clients on a personal level. We understand the ag world and the insurance world. That’s a big key, being able to speak both languages, and bring them togeth-
Steve Breeding raises lambs for 4-Hers in addition to his cattle.
It’s probably safe to say that you’ve thought about (or maybe it’s more appropriate to say “dreamed about”) what you will do when you retire. Play golf every day. Wine-tasting in Napa. Travel to exotic locales. But when you retire, the sky isn’t always the limit. The limit will be determined by how you’ve planned and prepared for that time.
Planning for retirement isn’t easy, and it’s especially difficult for self-employed individuals. They spend years and years building their business. Some may expect to sell it and live off the proceeds into their golden years, while others may have a different transition plan in mind. Sometimes those plans actually work! But, often, a little more is involved.
The other tax-qualified retirement plans
You may be familiar with 401(k) plans. They allow employees and self-employed individuals to save without having to pay income taxes on the earnings (until they’re paid out). They also allow companies to take a tax deduction for contributions to the plan and you
Jules Hendrix ...
FROM PAGE 10
er. It helps that we understand the risks farmers face and the solutions we can bring to them.”
The Crow Agency, based in Middletown, Del., is not just a Nationwide agency, but writes policies for several companies, providing auto, home, farm, crop, business, life and health coverage. “Nationwide is the biggest for farms,” Hendrix said.
“We write for all types of farms throughout the Mid-Atlantic. We are focused on Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, but have clients even in Iowa,” Hendrix said.
For information, call (302) 3789592 or visit the website, crowinsuranceteam.com.
Options and considerations for business owners planning retirement
can defer your own earnings from self-employment (or wages) before those amounts are taxed. But, did you know that there are lots of other tax-qualified plans that operate much like a 401(k) plan? Traditional, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs are options for self-employed individuals, as are SIMPLE 401(k), 401(a) defined contribution plans and 401(a) defined benefit plans. Each provides for tax deductible contributions, tax-deferred growth and taxable distributions. Individuals may also find that some plans provide flexibility in the timing and amount of contributions.
Knowing what type of plan is right will depend on a few things –
• Whether the business owner has employees other than a spouse
• What the owner’s earned income is from the business
• Whether the business’s earnings are consistent from year-toyear, and
• Whether the business owner believes the company will grow and there will be additional employees in the future
There are other ways to save but some might be more practical than others
There are some time-tested savings strategies that you can consider, such as investing in real estate, purchasing cash value life insurance or just stuffing some cash under your mattress.
If you decide to go the route of life insurance, it does provide your family with financial protection if
you were to die prematurely. Retirement can mean an end to your moments of impulse
Most of us like to live in the moment but being a responsible adult (and potential retiree) means setting some goals, and that includes financial goals. It also means that you prepare (as best you can) for life’s hiccups: an accident, disability, living longer than you thought you would, or needing assistance in daily living in your golden years. So, before you decide it to be wise to try to restore that ’65 Mustang Shelby GT, you should consider the potential curve balls life might throw so they can be in the best position possible to overcome them.
If you would like to help in finding a qualified professional to speak with, contact the Nationwide® Land As Your Legacy® team at LAYL@nationwide,com or toll-free at 1-855-529-2729.
Federal income tax laws are complex and subject to change. Neither Nationwide nor its representatives give legal or tax advice. Please consult your attorney or tax advisor for answers to specific questions.
As your personal situations change (i.e., marriage, birth of a child or job promotion), so will your life insurance needs. Care should be taken to ensure these products are suitable for your long-term life insurance needs. You should weigh any associated costs before making a purchase. Life insurance has fees and charges associated with it that include costs of insurance that vary with such characteristics of the insured as gender, health and age, and has additional charges for riders that customize a policy to fit your individual needs. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, Nationwide is on your side and Land As Your Legacy are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2019 Nationwide
NFM-18158AO (01/19)
Jules Hendrix, left, received the 2019 State Award for“Top Farm Policy Writer for Delaware Farm Bureau” on behalf of her agency at the Delaware Farm Bureau’s annual meeting Dec. 3 in Dover. At right is DFB's First Vice President Laura Hill.
