USDA Secretary to speak at Delaware agriculture dinner

The Delaware Council of Farm Organizations recently announced that Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will be at its annual agricultural dinner.

This will be the 41st year that the council puts on its Agricultural Industry Dinner, which will be held on January 26 at the Dover Downs Hotel & Conference Center, according to a release from the organization.

Vilsack will be the featured speaker at the event, a prospect that pleases Kenneth Wicks, the president of the Delaware Council of Farm Organizations.

"I am extremely pleased that USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will join the Council, the public, agricultural industry attendees, and our public officials as we celebrate Delaware's $8 billion agricultural industry," Wicks said.

In addition to a speech from Vilsack, the dinner will see Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Kee hand out the Secretary’s Award for meritorious service to Delaware agriculture.

Individual tickets to the event will cost $60, with a table for 10 going for $550.

The state's Department of Agriculture seeks to "to sustain and promote the viability of food, fiber, and agricultural industries in Delaware," according to its website.

Virginia governor declares December state Christmas Tree Month

Thursday is the first day of Virginia Christmas Tree Month, per the declaration of Governor Robert F. McDonnell.

According to a press release from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the governor and first lady of Virginia are observing the 150th commemoration of the Civil War with their decorations of the Executive Mansion.

Virginia began decorating trees in 1842 when a College of William and Mary professor first presented the German custom to Williamsburg. The trees were laced with popcorn, gilded nuts and lighted candles. By the time the Civil War began, the tradition was well entrenched in Virginia.

The McDonnells' Christmas tree is from Claybrooke Farms in Louisa County. Crazy Joe's Tree Farm in Culpeper is supplying the wreaths and Mill Farm Christmas Trees of Williamsburg is supplying the greenery.

Each of the three purveyors of Christmas goods is members of the Virginia Christmas Tree Association.

The Executive Mansion's Christmas tree and accompanying decorations will be open for public viewing during open houses on December 20 and 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for which reservations are not required.

Delaware ag secretary: Encourage legal immigrant labor

The U.S. agriculture industry has been a saving grace since the financial tumult of 2008 and the Delmarva Peninsula is in a perfect position to capitalize on that boon, states a column penned by the secretary of the Delaware Agriculture Department.

Despite the successes, there are focal points that call attention to the struggle, according to the November 9 column in the Daily Times authored by Ed Kee. Poultry and livestock require feed that is expensive and is soaring in price.

Yet the industry also is doing its part to contribute to responsible caretaking of the Chesapeake Bay, Kee writes.

"I believe all agriculture asks for is fairness and recognition that we are leaders in the Bay restoration," the editorial states. "Agriculture is not an enemy of clean water; indeed, it has proven to be the most aggressive sector in improving water quality."

Kee also argues for the value of immigrant labor, underscoring the value of legal immigrant labor for harvesting fields, milking cows, processing chickens and assisting with feeding the nation.

If the nation does not encourage legal immigration farm labor, the country's food supply will be disrupted.

Virginia's workshops for advice on farms, forestland to continue next year

Official efforts to safeguard working farms and forest land in Virginia will continue next year, according to a state press release.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will continue the workshops and listening engagements it has been conducting this year. The topics of conversation circle around preserving forest and farmland and the sessions serve as a resource for individuals in need of advice and assistance.

"The land is our farmers' greatest asset, and often they have an emotional as well as an economic tie to the old home place," Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Matt Lohr said. "The tradition of passing down the land from generation to generation is getting harder and harder to maintain."

He also noted the sessions serve as a vehicle for better informing farmers of the options available to gain a clearer understanding on how best to preserve the land in regard to purposes for business, financial and estate planning. Information about farm credit can also be an important aspect of preserving farms.

The one-day workshops cost $5 in advance. For the next one, scheduled for December 13 at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham, the registration fee will climb to $10 after December 10.