Author: Christy

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Keeping It Simple-Top Questions this Season

Little Wagon Produce has been in business over 25 years. That’s a lot of time to reminisce and observe how customer preferences and questions change over the years. One transition we’ve seen is the way in which customers want their produce. For example, many non-locals want really small produce, especially when it comes to yellow and green squash.They want it little, before its even matured. This is challenging because it doesn’t keep well in the heat. Our locals usually want the exact opposite so we try to provide both options. I’m not sure why the preference for smaller. It doesn’t seem to taste as good to me and honestly, you get less for your money!

We also get a lot of questions on a daily basis. Customers want to know what’s in the field behind the stand. Mom explains the difference between soybeans, field corn, and sweet corn. At one time we even had a jar with shelled field corn and soybeans so we could show the difference. More and more customers are becoming removed from their food. They have never grown a garden or picked produce. But the questions are getting more complex. They may have read an article on GMO’s or the advantages of buying organic, but they have NO IDEA the physical effort it takes to grow, cultivate, and pick produce, especially corn, and even carry a full basket of corn. Farmer Dan even has carparl tunnel in his hands from pulling sweet corn so much. The consistent routine of twisting an ear off the stalk has given him much pain in his arm and elbow.

But just to give you some insight, here are a few customer questions from this season:

5. How many flowers are in a 6 pack? Yes, seriously, a customer really asked this.

4. Do we sell fishing poles? Uh, no. But maybe we should?

3. Is a green tomato ripe? No, a green tomato is not ripe. A red tomato is ripe. I still don’t think the customer understood.

2. Is our produce organic? No. Farmer Dan has a license to apply chemicals. He does so sparingly. Chemicals are very expensive so we do not waste them. A fellow farmer from Maryland wrote an excellent blog about how “Spraying isn’t Dousing“.

1.Is our sweet corn GMO? No. Although GMO sweet corn seed is available now, we have not tried it yet. Will we in the future? Possibly, if it yields well, has the same supersweet taste, and minimizes how many chemicals we spray topically. The customer shook his head and was not satisfied. His comment was, “It is GMO. How else do you get the bi-color (yellow and white) corn?”. Questions like this are getting harder to answer and the answer is not simple. Farmer Dan taught us that the customer is always right, but in this case, he was wrong. I’ll tell you more in my next blog…

As you can see from above, the questions vary tremendously. Some simple, some complex. There are many times where the markets are busy, the heat oppressive and questions are just too much. But Mom and Dad still go out of their way to be polite and try to educate them as much as possible. Our answers are simple. We tell the truth about our practices. We do not believe in false marketing and would never say we are organic just to attract customers. And we will never advertise that we are “GMO-free” just to attract more business.

Seeing how Mom and Dad treat customers with respect and tell them the truth taught us a lot growing up. It created a loyal, respectful business that our family is proud of. Our story never gets old. We had too much produce in our garden so we put out a wagon and an honor box. It grew from there. It’s that simple. We want to share our food and knowledge with you. So even as customer fads come and go, Little Wagon Produce will be answering your questions another 25 years from now. God willing.

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Response to “Shame on Carney for GMO food vote”

In response to the Delaware State News article, “Shame on Carney for GMO food vote”on July 29, I would like to set the record straight regarding GMO food and labeling.

First of all, there are only eight crops commercially available from GMO seed in the United States. They are corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, alfalfa, sugar beets, papaya, and squash. I have seen many non-GMO labels in the grocery store already, such as on blueberries. This is unnecessary and confusing because blueberries have never been a GMO food. The same goes for canned pineapple and popcorn.

Furthermore, leading scientists and world health organization’s agree that GMO foods are safe to eat. Before GM crops can be released to the market, they are tested in ways that conventional and organic crops are not. If a study were ever to yield a result that raised any food safety concern, it is required by law that the information be presented to the FDA. Not a single case of ill health has originated from the consumption of these products for the past 20 years.

In reality, GMO labeling isn’t about a nutrition, health, or food safety issue. It’s about marketing. It’s a ploy where food companies try to capture your attention and separate their product from competitors on grocery shelves. It’s about capturing “fad” food preferences as well. For example, only 1% of the United States population suffers from celiac disease, which requires a gluten-free diet. However, gluten-free labels are everywhere. Food marketers have a history of taking advantage of consumer confusion.

Last but not least, it’s important to know for every dollar we spend on food, only about 16 cents goes to the farmer. Requiring labeling would pass a huge expense down to the farmer and even the consumer. So THANK YOU, Rep. Carney, for standing for science and Delaware’s #1 industry…….Agriculture.

For more information, please visit the links embedded in the article or go here and talk to a real farmer: http://findourcommonground.com/

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Australian Shepherd Pups Available

NEW LITTER BORN JULY 12, 2015-READY FOR PICK-UP ON AUGUST 22, 2015!

We love Australian Shepherd’s! Lucy, our black bi female, just had a litter of 9 puppies on July 12, 2015. Deuce is our red merle male with amber/green eyes. This breed of dog is known for its intelligence and herding skills. Our Aussie’s love being around family and kids. They also love being active and need room to run and play.

Deuce-The proud Dad

The dad, Deuce, is a red merle. He’s 4 years old.

The proud Mom

Lucy, the proud mom, is a black bi. She has a little tan on her hind legs. She’s 3 years old.

You can register your pup with the National Stock Dog Registry (NSDR). Both our female and male are registered. All of our puppies come with their first set of shots, health certificate, and tail docked. We require a non-refundable $100 deposit in order to hold a specific puppy for you until it is old enough to go to its new home. The remaining balance is due at the time you pick up your puppy.  We do not offer shipping. After confirming the puppy you want us to hold for you, you have 7 days to get the deposit to us. If we do not receive the deposit in those 7 days the puppy will then become available to other buyers.  Ready for pick-up on August 22, 2015!  Call 302-362-0831 (Scott) or 302-245-1793 (Christy) to reserve yours!

Pictures of Litter #3 below
Born July 12, 2015 (Baseball All-Star Week)
Pictures will be updated each week-http://farmerdansdaughter.com/aussie-pups/

Cal – Blue Merle Male – $600-SOLD 7/29/2015
(Dark gray, black spots, white blaze, belly and socks)

Phone Download July 2015 334Phone Download July 2015 335

Eddie – Black Bi Male – $500-SOLD 7/29/2015
(solid black back, white speck on forehead and muzzle, white socks on front paws, no tan visible yet)

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Brady – Red Merle Female – $600-SOLD 8/3/2015
(white blaze and speck on forehead, white socks, more red spots on left face and foreleg)

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Brooks – Red Merle Female – $600-SOLD 8/2/2015
(looks very similar to Brady but more white on neck)

Phone Download July 2015 331 Phone Download July 2015 332

Manny – Red Bi Female – $500-SOLD 8/2/2015
(Solid red back, white muzzle, belly & socks, no tan visible yet)

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Tippy – Red Bi Female – $500-SOLD 8/15/2015
(white tuft on neck and blaze, more white on legs, no tan visible left)

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Palmer – Black Bi Female – $500-SOLD 8/22/2015
(Large white collar and belly, no tan visible yet)

Phone Download July 2015 327 Phone Download July 2015 323

Dempsey – Black Bi Female – $500-SOLD 8/22/2015
(thin white on belly, white blaze and muzzle, black spots on nose, no tan yet)

Phone Download July 2015 341 Phone Download July 2015 340

Weaver – Black Bi Female – $500-SOLD 8/23/2015
(half black & white muzzle, solid black back, small white white socks)

Phone Download July 2015 349 Phone Download July 2015 345

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Bring on Summer and Fresh Produce!

Written by Christy Vanderwende Wright, Little Wagon Produce, for Milford Live (page 14) in honor of Local Produce Week

Bring on summer and the local produce! A sure sign of summer is downtown farmer’s markets. Little Wagon Produce is busy as a vendor at three – the Milton Farmer’s Market on Friday afternoon, the Riverwalk Farmers Market in downtown Milford every Saturday morning, and the Georgetown Farmer’s Market at 16 mile Brewery every Wednesday evening.

The Riverwalk Farmers Market in Milford has become a regular meeting hub for the Milford community. Shoppers mingle, talk, smile, laugh, and hug in between buying goods. Live music and many new vendors compliment the market. The weather has been warm but the grove of trees provides a refreshing shade. We appreciate the loyalty of Milford patrons year after year. I also appreciate the many questions and concern in my absence. I welcomed a baby boy last August and have taken time off to care for him. My sisters, Danna and Amber, have replaced me and love to share pictures of the baby!

The most popular question we get each year is “Do you have sweet corn yet?” The answer is YES! We are also picking daily our own yellow squash, zucchini, sweet corn, string beans, kale, green tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. We will soon have red tomatoes. Farmers have been blessed with plentiful rain this season. Keep in mind, there are expenses incurred by vendors such as fuel costs, paper and plastic bags or packaging, labor, and significant time picking and packing the day before the market. We tend to spend most of Friday preparing for the market in Milford and schedule 4-5 employees to attend and assist customers during the market.

If you do plan to take a stroll downtown soon, here are a few tidbits to help you be “Farmer Market Ready” this summer:

  • Bring cash! Many vendors are small businesses and cannot afford the fees accompanied with credit card machines. There is no bank in downtown Milford anymore.
  • Bring your own bags! The recyclable grocery bags work great! By doing this, you will help the environment and help us because plastic bags are an additional expense to vendors that we usually do not pass on to the customers. We even pay more and go out of the way to find heavy-duty plastic bags to hold a dozen ears of sweet corn (and they still don’t hold a dozen ears well).
  • Bring a friend! Word of mouth is the best marketing! The Riverwalk Farmer’s Market is open every Saturday from 9am-1pm.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask! Many markets have an information booth or a “Market Manager” to oversee the market each week.
  • Spread the love! Hopefully you will find more than one vendor to patronize. In Milford, there’s a large variety of vendors offering more than produce and there are several businesses nearby such as Dolce Coffee Shop, Blooming Boutique, Sugar Bee Candy Store, Arena’s and Georgia House Restaurant.
  • Bring your smile! Many vendors love to talk and engage their customers, including us.
  • Stay updated! The market is usually rain or shine! Vendors still come out in the rain. Check to see if your local market has a Facebook page and/or website for updates. Milford can be found on Facebook at “Riverwalk Farmers Market” and we update our page as well, “Little Wagon Produce”.
  • Say thanks to the vendors! There would be no market without them!

Thank you to all our loyal customers who already know the ropes and patronize the market week after week! Be sure to check out the Department of Agriculture’s “Buy Local” website for a farmer’s market near you at www.de.gov/buylocal.

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Wait and See in January 2016

So much for no new ag legislation this session. This may have been the intent of Delaware Secretary of Ag, Ed Kee, but it didn’t happen. I would consider no new ag legislation or additional funding for ag programs a success and Rep. Dave Wilson (R) seemed to be working in this direction. However, his attempt stalled. Meanwhile, an animal activist bill popped up out of nowhere. A ton of bills were left on each chamber’s  ready list, tabled, or stalled. I suppose we’ll have to “wait and see” as the 148th session continues in January 2016. Here’s a recap of Jan-June 2015, complete with links if you want to learn more:

  • HB (House Bill) 124 is Rep. Dave Wilson’s (R) masterpiece. He’s trying to find a permanent funding solution for the Ag Land Preservation Program by writing $10 million from the Realty Transfer Tax Fund into our Constitution. The bill sailed through the House Ag Committee but it parked itself on the House Ready List. Meaning it’s ready to be heard on the House floor. It will have to pass by a 2/3 vote and it has to pass both chambers in two consecutive sessions since it’s a constitutional amendment. We’ll see what happens in January 2016. I should also mention $3 million was appropriated to the Aglands Preservation Program at the last-minute, thanks to the one time nationwide bank settlement with Bank of America and Citigroup.  
  • SB (Senate Bill) 124 breezed through the Senate Chamber on June 23 with a vote of 21-YES, 0-NO. The bill seeks to add a voting member to the Aglands Preservation Board. The only requirement is this person must be actively engaged in farming or some other form of agribusiness. He or she can live in any county. But Sen. Ennis (D), the primary sponsor of the bill, stated it was a spot for an African-American farmer. I don’t see that written in the bill. The bill has been to assigned to the House Ag Committee. We’ll see what happens in January 2016.
  • HB 189 was the attempt by the HSUS lobbyist to end dairy cattle tail docking in Delaware. Any farmer in violation would be slapped with a Class A misdemeanor. The bill was tabled. The Department of Ag promised to meet with HSUS to give more detail on how many Delaware farmers actually engage in this practice. Lets hope we don’t see anything happen in 2016! 
  • SB 69 is not exactly an ag bill but it may come as a surprise to some rural families and kids. Any person under 18 years old, operating an ATV, must wear a protective helmet on his or her head with the chin straps properly fastened. Any person under 18 years old cannot be a passenger on an ATV unless the passenger is wearing a protective helmet with the chin straps properly fastened. Not sure who will enforce it or how rural families will be educated on this new law? The DE Farm Bureau was involved and put forth an amendment.
  • HCR (House Concurrent Resolution) 30 was proposed by Rep. Jeff Spiegelman (R) from Smyrna. His intent was to establish a Port of Wilmington Exports Task Force to provide recommendations in regards to expanding the operations at the Port of Wilmington to include agricultural product exports. The bill was tabled. It seemed to possibly ruffle the feathers of the Port, as if it was an insult that they weren’t already doing enough. Rep. Spiegelman requested the bill be tabled so he could do more background work on the bill. It seems like he’s trying to find more niche markets and open up more channels for Delaware farmers. I don’t see how this can go wrong. Lets hope to hear more in January 2016. Here’s a video clip where he explains more.

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Happy First Father’s Day!

This Sunday will mark Farmer Dan’s 42nd Father’s Day. Hopefully we can celebrate him and all the awesome Dad’s  in our family. But there’s a new “Dad” in town. It’s his first and we thank him for everything he does for us, which includes singing, changing dirty diapers occasionally, big hugs, naps in his lap, running to the pharmacy constantly, making bottles, and taking over for Mommy when the crying won’t stop! We love you! Happy 1st Father’s Day!

Easter Egg Hunting with Daddy

Easter Egg Hunting with Daddy!

I wanna be just like Daddy

I wanna be just like Daddy when I grow up!

Naps in Daddy's lap

Naps in Daddy’s lap

Getting started early! Riding a sheep!

Giddy Up Daddy!

Daddy bought me a pool for a summer!!?!

Daddy bought me a new pool for summer!!?!

Daddy takes me to daycare every morning. ♥

Love to be with Daddy. He takes me to daycare every morning. ♥

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Animal Welfare Bill Strikes Dairy Industry

And so it begins………..the attack on our #1 industry of agriculture by animal welfare activists.

HB 189 was proposed quickly and quietly and assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. It’s an act to amend Title 11 of the Delaware Code relating to dairy cattle tail docking. A quick synopsis of the bill establishes Dairy Cattle Tail Docking as a Class A misdemeanor.

What the heck is a Class A misdemeanor? According to NOLO, a class A misdemeanor in Delaware is the most serious type of misdemeanor in Delaware, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine up to $2,300. Seems extreme and many public comments balked at the punishment. This would probably put farmers in the same category as the thief’s who steal the copper from their irrigation systems.

The bill was in the House Judiciary committee today. I attended and listened. Here’s my notes:

Representatives in attendance:

  • Rep. Mitchell, Chair, (D)
  • Rep. Potter (D)
  • Rep. Wilson (R), publicly opposed the bill, especially with steep punishment and questioned why we were focusing on this with only 6 session day left. He also asked who will police it and what if a farmer buys a cow from another state with the tail already docked? Thank you, Rep. Wilson!
  • Rep. Outten (R)
  • Rep. Spiegelman (R)
  • Rep. Paradee (D)
  • Rep. Bennett (D), primary sponsor of the bill, introduced the bill and stated that cow’s need their tails to swat insects/flies and to communicate with it’s herd.
  • for a full list of committee members, click here.

Public Attendance & Comment:

  • DE Votes for Animals (in support)
  • A private citizen and advocate for animal welfare (in support)
  • Kitty Holtz, DFB President
  • Pam Bakerian, DFB Executive Director, opposed this bill on behalf of the DE Farm Bureau and all dairy farmers. She felt the bill was proposed very quickly and left little time for the agricultural advocates to prepare. She asked for more than a 24 hour notice and allow dairy farmers to speak for themselves. She requested the bill be tabled.
  • Ed Kee, DE Secretary of Ag, respectfully opposed this bill on behalf of his agency including state veterinarians. He requested the chance to sit down and talk to all parties involved here and to look at the numbers (number of dairy farms in the state and how many actually perform this practice). He said the number is low. He also felt the punishment was severe.
  • Kim Gomes, Lobbyist, commented that she represents HSUS and brought the issue to Rep. Bennett. Seeing the discussion taking place today, she asked the sponsor to table the bill and welcomed the invitation to continue the conversation.

My thoughts? Even though my family does not perform tail docking on their dairy cattle, we oppose this bill. This is not the last you will see of this bill or many like it because animal welfare does not just pertain to small pet animals anymore. By attaching the punishable crime, it required this bill to go through the Judiciary Committee instead of the Agriculture Committee. Perhaps they hoped agricultural advocates wouldn’t catch wind? Highly unlikely with a farmer like Rep. Dave Wilson on the Judiciary Committee and an active Farm Bureau who showed up in committee to oppose. I also question the legwork done to propose this bill with only 6 working session days left, a ton of bills sitting on the ready list, and so many other issues important to Delawareans such as budget, tax, and transportation funding woes. I am 99.9% sure the Department of Ag would’ve been willing to sit down and talk to them about specifics on this issue BEFORE proposing a bill. If they wanted to get the ag industry’s attention or see how well Delaware agvocates are paying attention, I would say mission accomplished. I am worried, especially for the poultry industry as this bill could easily bring attention to the welfare of other large farm animals.

The bill was tabled, for now……..all representatives in attendance voted in favor of tabling it. The primary sponsor is not a member of the committee.

We need Delaware farmers and agvocates who are willing to drop everything and come to Legislative Hall to testify against these type of bills. If that’s not possible, even a phone call to your local legislator helps! Leave a message with the aide because they keep track for the elected official.

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Rep. Wilson Attempts to Secure Funding for DE Farmland Preservation

When the DE Agricultural Lands Preservation Act was passed in 2005, the intent was for the program to be fully funded $10 million from the realty transfer tax revenue. Because of other budget constraints in recent years, funding has been significantly less. Rep. Dave Wilson (R) seeks to make the full funding of $10 million constitutional law by proposing HB 124. Passing a constitutional amendment is no easy task. The bill requires a 2/3 vote in each house and must pass 2 consecutive sessions. If passed, HB 124 would not take effect until 2017. On Wednesday, May 13, HB 124 passed through the House Ag Committee.

The synopsis of the bill:

The Delaware Farmland Preservation Fund was created under the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Act in order to conserve, protect, and encourage improvement of agricultural lands within the State. The Legislature has previously expressed its desire that $10 million in receipts from the State Realty Transfer Tax be allocated annually to this fund in order to accomplish its goals. This Act is the first leg of a constitutional amendment that will make this allocation binding on all future administrations and General Assemblies, thus allowing this essential program to continue protecting one of our State’s most important resources.

Voting in favor:

  • Rep. Bennett (D)
  • Rep. Kenton (R)
  • Rep. Carson (D)
  • Rep. Wilson (R)
  • Rep. Collins (R)
  • Rep. Paradee (D)
  • Rep. Spiegelman (R)

Not in favor:

  • Rep. Q. Johnson (D)
  • Rep. Mulrooney (D)

All public comment generously supported the bill and farmers! Many legislators also spoke highly of the ag and poultry industry in DE.If you support this bill and want to see farm land preserved please contact your local legislator! Public testimony came from:

Also on the agenda was HCR 30, creating a task force related to the Port of Wilmington. It was tabled so the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Spiegelman (R) could edit the language. Although not in either ag committee, SB 69 passed through the Senate Public Safety Committee. This bill seeks to require helmet use for anyone 18 years old or younger operating a 2 wheel or 3 wheel ATV (all terrain vehicles). Keep in mind, ATV does not refer to a farm vehicle being used for farming. This is specifically stated within the legislation.

Here’s a video clip from Comcast Newsmakers of Rep. Dave Wilson explaining the bill:

Click HERE for a news and audio clip of Ed Kee, DE Secretary of Agriculture explaining the program.

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No New Ag Legislation

The House and Senate Agricultural Committee’s came together last Wednesday, March 25 for the first committee meeting this year. Rep. Carson called the meeting to order but the Secretary of Ag led the conversation. No new ag legislation will be introduced this year. The meeting was short and straight to the point. To emphasize the impact of past legislation, Mr. Kee passed out a handout listing agriculture legislation since 2010. See the handout below.

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In attendance:

SENATE Agriculture Committee:

  • Sen. Pettyjohn-(R) Georgetown
  • Sen. Richardson- (R) Laurel

HOUSE Agriculture Committee:

  • Rep. Carson-(D) Smyrna-CHAIR
  • Rep. Q. Johnson-(D) Middletown-VICE CHAIR
  • Rep. Paradee-(D) Dover
  • Rep. Lynn-(D) Dover
  • Rep. Outten-(R) Harrington
  • Rep. Kenton-(R) Milford
  • Rep. Peterman-(R) Milford
  • Rep. Wilson-(R) Bridgeville
  • Rep. Collins-(R) Millsboro

Others:

  • Ed Kee, State of Delaware, Secretary of Ag
  • Bill Satterfield, Delmarva Poultry Industry (DPI)
  • Pam Bakerian, DE Farm Bureau, Executive Director
  • Andy Berger, Retired Dairy Farmer

Missing Members from the Committee’s:

  • Sen. Ennis-(D) Smyrna-CHAIR
  • Sen. Hall-Long-(D) Middletown
  • Sen. McBride-(D) Hawk’s Nest
  • Rep. Mulrooney-(D) Pennwood
  • Rep. Bennett-(D) Dover
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First Ag Committee Meeting this Wednesday

The first Agriculture Committee meeting of the 148th General Assembly is scheduled for this Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 1:00 pm. The meeting will take place in the House Majority Hearing Room at Legislative Hall. Anyone can attend! These meetings are always open to the public. Just bring a picture ID with you to get into Legislative Hall. The agenda simply states:

Briefing from Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Kee …

By the way, the website for the Delaware State Legislature has been updated! Wow, it’s about time! Take a look when you have a minute. It seems to be laid out well and even provides staff contact info for the Controller General’s Office and Division of Research. Pretty sure that’s a first.

http://legis.delaware.gov/

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