Family

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Memories Made at the 2012 DE State Fair

Well, another DE State Fair has passed. Some of us are sad. Some of us are glad. Some of us are just flat-out exhausted. But the “memories made” and lessons learned, especially for the youth, are priceless. My family has always been involved and even though we don’t take many dairy cows anymore, it was fun to try to keep up with my nieces and nephew as they begin their 4-H and DE State Fair careers. Here are a few highlights:

My sister and I helped Mom lay out a lot of vegetables for her entries in the Garden Vegetable Department in the Dover Building the Wednesday before the fair starts. It’s a long stressful morning but for some reason, we keep doing it. Farmer Dan hates it mainly because it’s very challenging to find multiple kinds of one vegetable that are perfect and match.  Most of the veggies are thrown out on Tuesday night of the fair and we do it all over again on Wednesday morning.

We start by laying all the veggies out on tarp and wiping them down. This allows us to compare them and pick the most uniform ones.

Then we pick the best ones and lay them in a yellow try with a towel, so they don’t get bruised. Many classes differ on the number required (i.e. best 4 green tomatoes, best 12 snap beans, best 3 yellow squash).

And our sweet corn won a blue!

Mom received the Superintendent’s Award for the most blue ribbons in this department. She’s only won it 2 times. She was recognized here by the Governor on Governor’s day.

On Sunday, my cousin Bethany Killmon was named “Sheep & Wool Queen”. She spent the rest of the week dressed up and hanging out with important people, such as the Governor on Thursday. What a nice way to end her summer as she gets ready to start her senior year at Sussex Tech High School this fall. My Aunt Vi also came up from Georgia. She loves the fair and catches up with all of her Harrington High School classmates. My grandmother even came up one night with her. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Mom-Mom Ann strolling in the barn.

Our cousin, Bethany Killmon (on right), crowned Sheep & Wool Queen. She had to apply and give a public speech on what her sheep project has meant to her.

Hangin’ out in the sheep barn!
From Left to Right:
Bethany, Mom-Mom Ann, Uncle Charles, Aunt Vi, Wendee, Christy, Aunt Carla

I could barely keep up with all of my nieces and nephews activities. Maci and Brielle were in the 4-H talent show. Bethany & Alanna presented their 4-H demonstration on raised gardens. Maci & her friend gave their demo on recycling. All four of them won their divisions. Maci showed her Boer goat. Brielle showed her two market hogs. And the list goes on and on. I could barely keep up with Scott either. He loves the fair and spends as much time there as possible. He helps his Mom with her Suffolk sheep.

Maci showing her Boer goat, Patches, and speaking to the judge.

Alanna helping Mom with her big vegetable display.

Oh and by the way, I had a few reasons to be there, too. The DE 4-H Foundation sponsored their Donor Appreciation Brunch on the first Sunday. With the help of a fellow board member, Marian Harvey, we coordinated and moderated the event. Nemours sponsored Healthy Kids Day, which was all day Tuesday. I worked the free health fair, which was in the entertainment tent all day. I also gave a little demonstration in the Ag Commodities Building on Wednesday. I teamed up with Cara Sylvester (see her blog, …story worth telling) for CommonGround to educate fair go’ers on food safety tips for summer. More to come on this later! And on Saturday night I enjoyed the end of it all by going to see Miranda Lambert with some friends. It was a really good show-her voice sounded great and she looked awesome! I loved her skirt and boots!

Miranda Lambert in concert.
July 28, 2012

So, we will all try to catch up on sleep this week and wait another 355 days for next year’s fair come around. Can’t wait to see what is to come and look forward to the memories made next year!

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Celebrating Family, Farmer Dan, & Independence

Happy 4th of July from Little Wagon Produce and the Vanderwende Family! Where did May and June go? The spring months have been extremely busy on the farm. Farmer Dan laid out his vegetable plots, planted sweet corn as well as field corn and soybeans, and then fertilized everything. My brother, Breck, has been maintaining 2 greenhouses with 3 plantings of annual flowers, herbs, and vegetable transplants which will produce the squash, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant for the summer business. Mom cleaned and opened our retail stand and is already in the regular flow of selling at 3 farmers’ markets close by. Almost all the summer vegetables came on 2 weeks early. We are still waiting for peppers and eggplant to ripen. And as usual, we are in desperate need of rain fall so monitoring irrigation systems is the current priority.

My family has also been busy, as we have celebrated many milestones recently. My grandmother healed from a broken leg, made it through physical therapy, and came home to the farm just in time for her 77th birthday on May 17. Farmer Dan turned 60 soon after on May 22! We combined his birthday celebration with Father’s Day and celebrated in the backyard at the farm. We threw up some tents, had a softball toss, played corn hole, and put his candles on a strawberry shortcake. As it turned dark, mom started a little bonfire for the grandkids to roast marshmallows. They loved it and even Farmer Dan brought out his old softball glove to have a catch!

Farmer Dan celebrating his 60th birthday and Father’s Day with strawberry shortcake and all four grandkids: Maci, Alanna, Aydan, and Brielle (Mom is in the background)

In June, my brother, Breck and his son, Aydan, celebrated birthdays. Breck turned 39 and Aydan turned 8! We celebrated at Cafe Tamburelli’s with pizza, spaghetti, and a chocolate chip cookie cake. We will have to start planning for Breck’s big 40th next year! 

Happy Birthday, Aydan!

And here it is July already. Several family birthdays are this month including my Uncle Garry, Jimmy, Donnie and even my own. But today was my brother-in-law’s, Shane, who turned 41. He is an “Independence Day Baby” so we combined the two occasions by celebrating at my sister, Danna, and his home tonight. We enjoyed their beautiful new pool and it was nice to relax in the middle of the week. 

Happy Birthday, Shane! Swimming with his girls, Maci and Brielle and his nieces, Savannah and Annabella.

But I can’t help but go back to Farmer Dan’s big milestone. He doesn’t like to talk about it but 60 years is a lifetime of knowledge, experience, and skills, especially in agriculture! I have been wanting to sit down and talk with him to pull some of these details out. Tonight was perfect because Shane’s family likes to talk history and reminisce, too, so I think they enjoyed joining the conversation. I prepared some short questions to highlight the past and the present. Here is what Farmer Dan had to say:

-If you weren’t a farmer, what do you think you would have done career-wise? I’ve really never thought about it but probably something with athletics, perhaps coaching or physical education. I also think I would’ve liked working in Cooperative Extension.

-What do you miss most about the days of agriculture when you grew up? It was less stressful. There were less financial pressures. It seemed like you could enjoy the work more.

-What is the biggest threat to ag in your opinion? Government regulations.

-What is the best part of being a farmer? Independence. Being your own boss. (Very fitting for the current holiday!)

-What is the most frustrating part of being a farmer today? Technology. All this new machinery has technology that none of us know how to work.

-What do you think future generations will need to succeed in agriculture? Computer skills, most certainly. More knowledge of the global market including global marketing.

-What do you think about women in ag today? Women have always been involved in ag-just more behind the scenes. They are coming to the forefront now because they are good at speaking up for ag rights, educating the public, and marketing products.

The conversation then went on to cover a little of everything. He likes to talk about how his grandfather grew a garden with strawberries and string beans. This is how he became interested in vegetable production. I also asked  him what he would do differently. He didn’t answer. Dad has never been one to talk much unless he’s talking about sweet corn, of course. But I’ll take his silence as he wouldn’t do a lot differently. He is an independent, successful farmer and gets to do what he loves everyday. He has a happy, healthy family (who likes to celebrate birthdays!).  On a day where we celebrate this great nation’s independence, I would also like to celebrate Farmer Dan’s. So here’s to you, Farmer Dan, and thanks for teaching me how to be independent, too.

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Farmers’ Markets: Past, Present, Future Part I – Getting Started

Did you know there are 27 farmers’ markets in the First State? Many are opening this weekend, including the Western Sussex Farmer’s Market in Seaford. They’re popping up everywhere! So, have you visited one yet? If not, you might be missing out on what has become the nucleus of most downtown’s thriving economies. Last year, with only 16 markets, sales totaled $1.8 million. It’s like having your good old corner store, with a produce section, in walking distance of your favorite coffee shop, restaurant, bank, and bakery shops. I bet there’s one near you, with 12 new locations opening this summer. Check out the Department of Agriculture’s directory for locations and times.

But believe it or not, the idea is not new. Many markets such as Lewes and Milford began over ten years ago. I’ve had the pleasure to participate in several through my work with my parent’s business, Little Wagon Produce. I got the call to help my Mom in downtown Milford five years ago, as she could no longer handle the volume by herself. In 2001, she began to transport fresh produce to Milford every Saturday morning. It took years for her to establish the LWP  name in Milford and I’m proud to witness and learn from it.  The work  and time required has not been easy. In order to build this market over a decade, Mom had to be:

  1. dependable– this means you have to show up every week of the market. It allows customer’s to rely on you and what you offer. This is hard for small farmers who do not grow large volumes.
  2. communicative– you have to take the time to talk and listen to the customers to find out what they like, need, and want! Then you have to follow thru and either provide it or help them find it!
  3. educative– you have to take the time to help customers understand what you grow and what you do to get it to the market every week (planting, picking, packing, refrigerating, loading, fuel for transporting, labor, etc).
  4. collaborative– you have to support the market by working together with fellow vendors. Each week Mom makes a round to buy from other vendors and we love to send customers to other vendors. For example, we send customers to co-vendor Tracy Riley of Houston Country Gardens when they ask for perennial flowers, since we only grow annuals, and she does the same for us.
  5. and embedded in the community– it helps to know customers by name, where they work, and what happened last week in the news. We do not live in Milford, but we make it a priority to frequent its businesses and events often.

The best part about farmers’ markets is getting to know our customers. He or she could be the town mayor, a local school teacher, or a retired grandparent. They then go out into the community and tell everyone to go downtown for the “awesome sweet corn” from Little Wagon. Word of mouth truly is a small business’s best advertisement.

Personally, the market has afforded me many opportunities. I feel embedded in the Milford community myself. I have met several people I now consider friends, such as the local postmaster (he likes to hug me), a local news reporter (she likes to talk about running), and a fellow co-worker’s dad (he likes to pick on me and calls me “corn-girl”).  I love to be outside and I admit, its great exercise, too. Do you know how hard it is to pack and unpack two box trucks?!! It’s also my way of staying involved in the family farming business. I love to help customers understand the seasonality of produce and how to pick it. It’s great to be able to spend time with my family. Not only do I get to learn from Mom but I also get to see my grandfather, Pop-Pop Bob. He doesn’t like to miss a Saturday and gets several hugs and kisses from customers. I also have a good friend, Wendy, that shares my love for the market and comes every week to help us.  My younger sister, Amber, has recently joined in on the weekly ritual as well.

I plan to continue writing about farmer’s market activity throughout the summer. But I can’t end this post without saying thank you to all of our farmer markets’ customers. We appreciate your time and business and I hope my family can continue to serve local communities with fresh, local food for a reasonable price. In today’s world, I truly believe we take our easy access to food for granted.

Becky Vanderwende (Mom) at the 2005 Strawberry Festival explaining to the customer how to best care for the flowers she’s about to purchase.

Seaford Farmers Market

Mom and Dad always said to not be afraid to show customers our produce. We understand that people want to see that the product is good. I love showing them how full our ears are and how good it looks!

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Proposed Changes to DE Nutrient Management Commission

It’s hard to find a poultry farmer in New Castle County, which makes it hard to fill the Nutrient Management Commission. And so became House Bill (HB) 282, which changes the composition of the Commission.

As with many state boards and commissions, the Delaware Code relating to this Commission is very specific and can be very confusing. Bear with me! Currently, there are 15 total voting members on the Commission. One is the Director of the Division of Watershed Stewardship for DNREC. The 14 others are appointed by various elected officials. Of the 14 appointed, 7 must be full-time farmers. The 7 full-time farmers must be divided by county. For example, 2 must be full-time farmers from New Castle County, 2 from Kent County, and 3 from Sussex County.  Even more specifically, the 7 full-time farmers must consist of:

  • 1 dairy farmer
  • 1 swine producer
  • 3 poultry farmers
  • 2 row-crop farmers (1 grain and 1 vegetable)

If enacted, HB 282 would remove 1 poultry farmer from the Commission while adding 1 equine operation owner.  Currently, Delaware’s equine industry has no representation on the Commission. I’m assuming this change will cater to New Castle County because of a lack of poultry, swine and row-crop farming. In other words, representation for this county would have to come from the dairy and equine industries. While I understand the desire for representation of the equine industry and every county, I have concern for the representation of less poultry farmers. The fact is clear: poultry is Delaware’s #1 agricultural commodity. Of Delaware’s cash farm income, 73% was from broilers in 2009. We are 8th in the nation in the value of broiler production. As a matter of fact, broiler production began in Delaware. Need I say more?

Yet, this industry (and all of agriculture) is under pressure from federal regulation and environmental activists who say we need more rules for animal waste (i.e. nutrient management). Take yesterday’s DE State News, for example, which featured a guest commentary from a Washington DC environmental guru who blames agriculture as the top single contributor of nutrient pollution to the Chesapeake Bay. She cites poultry farmers specifically, claiming they grow too many birds and produce too much waste without controls on waste disposal. This is exactly the duty of the DE Nutrient Management Commission: to regulate activities involving the generation and application of nutrients in order to help improve and maintain the quality of Delaware’s ground and surface waters and to meet or exceed federally mandated water quality standards, in the interest of the overall public welfare. Therefore, I would advocate for more poultry farmers on this Commission; not less.

Have all other options been properly considered? Could the county representation requirement be changed? In other words, maybe there should only 1 full-time farmer from New Castle County represented? Perhaps the swine producer should be removed? I could be wrong, but I haven’t seen a large-scale pig farm in Delaware in a very long time (1980’s?).

DISCLAIMER: I guess I should go straight to the source. My grandfather co-chairs the Commission. I also have 3 family members who are poultry growers. I’ll do my homework. Until then, here’s a link to a list of members from the DE Dept of Ag website but it’s not current. This also made me wonder: Does the poultry industry have a registered lobbyist in Delaware to advocate for poultry growers in our state?  I looked it up under the Public Integrity Commission website. The answer is yes. It’s Bill Satterfield from the Delmarva Poultry Industry. I read their March 2012 newsletter, which explained that all current legislative efforts are focused in Maryland because of the dozens of bills that could affect the MD poultry industry. Too close for comfort, if you ask me……

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Where Did Winter Go?

I was supposed to rest this winter. So much for that. I’ve been going non-stop in my spare time and much has been for ag related purposes. So much, in fact, that I didn’t blog the entire month of February. Right after the annual DE Ag Industry dinner, I began an 8 week class called Annie’s Project, on Wednesday nights. The first weekend of February I attended my 2nd conference for Common Ground in Charleston, South Carolina…and here it is March already and my family is back in the greenhouse.

To catch up for lost time, here’s a recap of national and state ag related news or events I’ve been following this winter:

  • First woman elected Chair of the United Soybean Board:Meet Vanessa Kummer
  • DE Public Archives released an Agriculture Photo Collection from Delaware in the 1920’s and 1930’s (I loved seeing many of the old farm practices captured in these pictures as well as some 4-H events!)
  • UD names new head of Cooperative Extension: Meet Ms. Michelle Rodgers (her start date is April 2nd!)
  • USDA closes 259 offices, including consolidation of 131 FSA offices (this link is the latest article from March 3)
  • Bill Gates Endorses Ag Research  (or watch  this Bill Gates video, supporting genetically modified food research) Our industry could use his voice more! I’m so glad he spoke up!
  • Annie’s Project Convenes (more to come on this 8 week agribusiness course for women) I graduate tomorrow night!
  • Common Ground launches new website: www.findourcommonground.com (more to come on this, too, but this website is an awesome resource to answer popular consumer questions) Take a few minutes to check it out!
  • Regional Women in Ag Conference was February 9-10, 2012 (I couldn’t find any media on this and I didn’t make it this year because of my full-time work but heard it went well!)
  • DE Farm Service Agency (FSA) Director named: Meet Mr. Bob Walls
  • National Ag Week & Agricultural Safety Awareness Week was March 4-10, 2012 (sponsored by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety because it is one of the most hazardous industries)
  • National Ag Day was March 8, 2012 (sponsored by the Agriculture Council of America)

This is a quick list, but as you can see, there’s been no shortage of agriculture news and events this winter. With the early arrival of mild weather, it looks like there will be no rest for the weary in between seasons.  By the way, the first day of spring is next Tuesday, March 20. Just where did winter go?

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How Will We Feed & Fuel Ourselves?

The brisk temperature didn’t keep many away as friends of Delaware Agriculture trickled into Harrington Fire Hall last Friday morning for an early morning breakfast. It was nice to see so many youthful faces present from 4-H State Teen Council representatives, and DE FFA State Officers, to Del-Tech FFA members.

Jan Seitz, Director of Extension, jumped right into the program by introducing the 2012 George M. Worrilow Award winner, Dr. Jack Gelb. Known for his poultry research and publications, he is the Department Chair and a Professor for Avian Virology at UD. Seeming very humble, Dr. Gelb spoke about his interest in agriculture without coming from ag roots. Noting a strong interest in science, he rode the “1st green wave” of ecology and attracted to ag because of the inspiring people in faculty and extension areas. He also felt he could make a difference in ag. His comments really resonated with me, especially after the recent Yahoo article which cited agriculture as the number one most useless degree. The author obviously never met Dr. Jack Gelb and most likely has never bit into a juicy tender chicken breast grown on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Scheduled to headline the program was the Governor, Jack Markell and our senior U.S. Senator, Tom Carper. The Governor was a no-show and the Senator was late but the show went on. Replacing the Governor, DE Secretary of Agriculture-Ed Kee, spoke on the new programs recently initiated for DE farmers such as DRIP and the Young Farmer Program. He also announced that the recent CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operations) regulations DE proposed were officially approved. Senator Carper finally arrived and reminisced on the environmental woes of the Inland Bays, which occurred during the Castle administration and derived the need for a Nutrient Management Commission. The members of this commission were to represent various sectors of all involved in nutrient management processes; requiring all to have a seat at the table and collaborate on a state plan. With the recent CAFO proposal being approved, Carper called this a huge accomplishment and wanted to honor the chairmen of the board, who have served since its inception. He presented a “Congressional Record” to Dave Baker, Vice-Chair and Bill Vanderwende, Chair (and my grandfather).

From Left: Sen. Tom Carper, Dave Baker-New Castle County Farmer, Bill Vanderwende-Sussex County Farmer

He ended by mentioning economic prosperity and that our economy is rebounding; not due to the usual consumer buying and housing industries but instead due to manufacturing and agriculture industries. He said he is hopeful about our future and we should only be concerned with 2 questions going forward: How will we feed ourselves and fuel ourselves? He stated agriculture has the answer in biofuel and efficiency. Isn’t it a shame the Yahoo author wasn’t sitting in the audience….?
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3 Generations of Farming

Here’s a great picture from the “Mid-Atlantic Farmers Feed US” profile on my cousin, Jesse:

Mid-Atlantic Farmers Feed US

3 Generations of Vanderwende farmers: Jesse (far left), Bill (left), Jimmy (right), Cody (far right)

See more of his profile and several other Mid-Atlantic farmers here. Don’t forget to enter for the chance to win a year of free groceries! The contest continues for 90 days from today (April 2012). What a great way to connect consumers to local farmers and our food supply.

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A Great Way to Kick-Off 2012: “Mid-Atlantic Farmers Feed US” Launches Tuesday, January 3

Want to put a face and even a family behind the food you put on your table? Here’s your chance. A program called Mid-Atlantic Farmers Feed US is showcasing 10 farmers from the Mid-Atlantic region beginning Tuesday, January 3. The goal is to introduce local consumers to the local hardworking men and women who raise healthy, nutritious and affordable food through online videos of the farmers at work. After watching the videos, consumers in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and D.C. can enter for a chance to win free groceries for a year!

With a successful initial launch in the Midwest, film crews visited the Mid-Atlantic to tape farmers in October 2011. The farmers selected will feature several commodities such as beef, cattle, corn, dairy, hogs, mushrooms, poultry, roasters, soybeans, vegetables, and watermelon. Delaware farmers profiled include:

  • Dairy: Allison & Burli Hopkins, Hopkins Creamery, Lewes, DE (see Facebook page here)
  • Vegetables: Jay Baxter, Baxter Farms, Georgetown, DE
  • Poultry: Jesse Vanderwende, Walnut Tree Farm, Bridgeville, DE

 Yesterday I blogged about my cousin, Bethany Killmon; therefore, I have to mention that Jesse is also my cousin.  There is no doubt in my mind that Jesse loves our family farm and is a young entrepreneur; he built two chicken houses by the age of 19. He grew up on the farm and spent almost every minute learning the ropes from his father and our grandfather. I can’t wait to see his video!

It is my hope that you, the consumer, can find a few minutes to watch one or two of these videos over the next 90 days (just click here: http://www.farmersfeedus.org/)! Or at least just visit their Facebook page to “like” them!

Thank you to the farmers featured for giving up their time in the field or on the farm to do this. I hope farmers continue to take advantage of these new online social media outlets to promote public trust and show that they have the same values as consumers.

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Setting the Example in Health, 4-H, and Beyond

This past November I was able to revisit my cross-country coaching past by watching my cousin run in the DE DIAA Cross Country State Championship at Killen’s Pond State Park. It was a beautiful fall day and there’s no place better than Killen’s Pond to take in the fall scenery, as you can see below…

Christy (left) & Bethany (right), Nov. 12, 2011, DE DIAA State Cross Country Championship

My cousin is Bethany Killmon from Greenwood, DE. She’s a junior at Sussex Tech High School, who plays three sports (cross-country, winter track, and soccer) and is an avid 4-Her. She recently attended National 4-H Congress as a delegate for Delaware 4-H, which was held in Atlanta, GA. This trip is the ultimate prize for a 4-Her; it’s a week-long excursion that exposes young leaders to a large city and rewards them for years of project work. In addition to the required projects of Citizenship and Leadership, Bethany’s core projects are in three areas:

  1. Sheep
  2. Horticulture
  3. Health

To win the trip, Bethany (with the help of her Mom) had to compile years of service in these project areas into one “project book”. Speaking from experience, record-keeping for this task is not easy; her book is close to 25 pages long!

While I’m sure all of these projects have positively impacted Bethany, I predict that the most influential on her life will be Health. Being a dedicated team member in school sports fits into the project well but it goes beyond being a high school athlete. Bethany has gained knowledge of personal hygiene, food and nutrition, exercise physiology, and child health related issues and shared it with others by giving public demonstrations and visiting nursing homes. I also believe her daily routine of physical activity will resonate with her in years to come because of exposure at such an early age. Coupled with her acquired 4-H knowledge, she will be ready to transform into a healthy college student and young adult. How awesome and refreshing is that?

This is exactly what 4-H is all about: exposing young people to a world beyond just their school or small group of friends. It’s about using their Head, Heart, Hands and Health (aka 4-H) to make their club, community, country and world a better place. Oh and by the way, Bethany ran the 3.1 mile course in 20 minutes and 6 seconds, placing 6th out of 107 Division I female runners! I can’t wait to see what she does as a high school senior!

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Cleaning Out the Fridge from Thanksgiving

So, have you cleaned out the refrigerator from Thanksgiving? I did and, wow, it made me feel so much better. If you’re like me, you may have found some leftover apples from fall that kept well. I wanted to use them up so I went hunting for a quick and easy recipe. I found a winner. Just made it tonight. Best part is I found it in a church cookbook that my mom gave me. The person who submitted it is Betty Layton, a long time friend of my mom’s and an avid church goer. Her family, the Cannon’s, sold their farm to my mom and Farmer Dan in 1975. We loved playing in the round roof barn that her dad built. I even remember their family name etched into the wood going up the stairs and the year it was built – 1926. Enjoy!!!

Apple Crisp with Bisquick

Ingredients:

4 cups sliced pared apples (4-5 medium)

2 tsp water

¼ cup sugar

1 ½ cup Bisquick

½ cup sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

1 egg

¼ cup shortening (melted)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease square pan, 8x8x2 inches. Arrange apples in pan; sprinkle with water and ¼ cup sugar. In bowl stir together Bisquick, ½ cup sugar, and the cinnamon. Beat egg thoroughly; pour slowly into Bisquick mixture, stirring constantly with fork until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture evenly over apples; pour shortening over top. Bake about 20 minutes until brown on top. Serve warm or cold with milk or ice cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings.