DOVER, DE — Delaware’s farming community will gather January 12–15 at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington as Delaware Agriculture Week returns for its third decade, bringing together producers, educators, and industry leaders for four days of education, networking, and business insight.
The annual event features wide-ranging breakout sessions, continuing education credits, and dozens of vendors and exhibitors, reflecting agriculture’s role as Delaware’s largest industry by economic impact.
“For more than two decades, Delaware Agriculture Week has been a focal point of the winter season for farm families all across the region,” said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Don Clifton. “This is a wonderful event to take advantage of, with spotlight sessions on various agricultural topics and the opportunity to learn about the latest innovations and best practices showing promise for the coming year.”
Programming spans crop production, livestock management, agronomy, soil health, marketing, and risk management. Sessions are scheduled across all four days, with specialized tracks covering poultry, grains, fruits and vegetables, beef, swine, woodland management, pollinators, urban agriculture, and farm finance.
The schedule begins Monday afternoon with poultry and fruit sessions, followed by evening programming focused on poultry, beef, and grain marketing. Tuesday and Wednesday feature full-day offerings, including sessions on hay and pasture management, processing vegetables, soil health, and small flock poultry. Thursday concludes with agronomy-focused sessions and a gathering hosted by the Delaware Urban Farm & Food Coalition.
A full schedule with speaker and location details is available at https://sites.udel.edu/delawareagweek. While general registration is not required, some sessions do require advance sign-up.
New for 2026, organizers have added a contingency plan for biosecurity concerns related to poultry. If necessary, sessions will shift to a live webinar format. Attendees planning to attend in person are asked to register in advance at http://www.udel.edu/0014007 to receive updates should scheduling changes occur.
Delaware Agriculture Week arrives as the state’s food and agriculture sector continues to anchor the broader economy. The industry supports more than 76,000 direct jobs and generates over $31 billion in total economic activity, including $3.8 billion in direct wages. Across 520,000 acres of farmland, approximately 2,150 family farms produce commodities ranging from corn, soybeans, and wheat to poultry, fruits, and vegetables.
“Delaware Ag Week continues to be a valuable opportunity for learning, networking, and sharing ideas, all in one place, for everyone involved in agriculture,” said Cory Whaley, University of Delaware Extension agent for Sussex County and co-chair of the event’s planning committee.
The event is hosted by the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, and the Delaware State University Cooperative Extension. Organizers said accommodations for special needs are available by contacting 302-831-3328.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.