The southernmost and largest of Delaware's three counties, a virtual treasure trove of places to visit, things to do and wonderful people to meet.
Delaware is known by this nickname due to the fact that on December 7, 1787, it became the first of the 13 original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution. “The First State” became the official State nickname on May 23, 2002 following a request by Mrs. Anabelle O'Malley's First Grade Class at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School.Welcome to the Delaware Department of Agriculture website.

I hope you will use this as a means of learning more about the Department and its services and more about Delaware Agriculture. The Department's mission is to sustain and promote the viability of food, fiber, and agricultural industries in Delaware through quality services that protect and enhance the environment, health, and welfare of the general public. We have a dedicated staff who strive effectively and efficiently to accomplish the Department's mission. I invite you to call the Department for information, assistance, and services.

As Secretary of Agriculture and a working farmer, my overriding responsibility is to protect and enhance the sustainability of Delaware's agriculture industry. The job description over the last four years has included fighting avian influenza, helping our farmers develop new markets for their products, and operating one of the nation's most successful farmland preservation programs.

In my book, the job also means ensuring that the future of our industry is protected from sprawl - leapfrog development that gobbles up valuable farmland and makes it tougher for farmers to operate their businesses, get their products to market and maintain a cohesive agricultural community that doesn't clash with residential development.

That is why I believe so strongly in Governor Minner's proposed Livable Delaware legislation that would prevent development from spreading farther and farther into our state's rural areas. We are calling it the Sprawl Prevention Act.

The state, counties and towns have worked cooperatively to agree on where growth should occur and where it should be discouraged. All three counties have designated growth areas where they have invested heavily and will continue to invest in sanitary sewer and treatment plants; meanwhile, the state agrees to invest in roads, schools, libraries and other services within those growth zones.