Since the founding of the First State, agriculture has been a vital part of Delaware's economy. Today, agriculture remains at the heart of our state’s economic activity.  I am dedicated to securing a better future for Delaware's hardworking farmers and their families. The agriculture industry provides us with many benefits, including jobs, trade opportunities, land preservation, environmental benefits and food to feed families not just in Delaware, but also throughout the U.S. and around the world.

In Delaware, chickens outnumber people roughly three hundred to one. Our farmers grow quite a bit of corn and soy, much of which goes to feeding our chickens, as well as specialty crops like fruits and vegetables that help keep our families healthy. The Great Recession hit Delaware farms hard, yet the contributions from our farmers are all the more needed as our economy rebounds. We must make sure that our farmers receive adequate support from the federal government, so they thrive and grow.

It is also a priority of mine to continue enforcing land conservation policies, balanced with the preservation of the agricultural way of life. As the Senate continues to debate issues that impact Delaware's farming communities, please know that I will make every effort to protect this important industry.

International Trade and Exports

Seventy percent of our state’s agricultural exports come from the poultry industry. Today, Delaware’s chickens are exported to countries around the world, including Russia, Mexico and China. Making sure that chickens grown and produced in our state can continue to be exported to these and other countries is a top priority of mine. During the 111th Congress, I worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to improve our trade relations with other countries. We were successful in prompting Russia to lift its trade barriers and China to lower its tariffs on U.S. poultry. As the 112th Congress starts, I will continue to advocate for good trade policies regarding Delaware’s agriculture industry so our chickens can be enjoyed by families around the world.

Specialty Crops and Access to Healthy Foods

Every few years, federal agriculture and food assistance laws are reauthorized through the “farm bill,” a large bill that deals with policies overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The current farm bill - officially known as the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 – contains numerous provisions to support Delaware's farmers and preserve valuable land and natural resources. One key improvement I helped secure in the 2008 farm bill was a provision for specialty crops.

Traditionally, commodities like corn, cotton, wheat and soy receive most of the federal subsidies in the farm bill, leaving specialty crops, organic foods, and community food programs dramatically underfunded. This is a problem because as food prices rise, the most nutritious foods - like fresh fruits and vegetables - become less affordable for American families.

Fortunately, the new farm bill reserved $3 billion for specialty crops, organic foods and healthy community food initiatives. Community food programs help ensure that children, low-income families and senior citizens have access to nutritious fruits and vegetables. Also, Delaware growers of nursery crops, watermelons, potatoes, beans, strawberries, spinach and cantaloupes will benefit from these important specialty crop programs.

Conservation Resources and Disaster Relief

With a $7.9 billion increase in overall conservation funding, the 2008 farm bill also provided help for land conservation and environmental stewardship. The revamped Conservation Stewardship Program incentivizes new conservation and rewards farmers who address resource concerns in their communities. The program will enroll more than 100 million acres by 2017.  

As demand and production increase, the need for effective conservation programs also grows. Funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQUIP) was significantly increased in the 2008 Farm Bill to provide $7.325 billion in EQUIP funding for fiscal years 2008-2012, a significant increase over the $4.92 billion provided in the 2002 Farm Bill. Through the EQUIP program, farmers are able to receive financial and technical assistance to improve soil, water, air and natural resource conditions on their land.  

One-third of Delaware’s lands drain into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The 2008 farm bill recognizes Delaware, as well as New York and West Virginia, as key "headwater states" for the Chesapeake region, which makes farmers in Delaware eligible to receive special funding set aside specifically for conservation of the Chesapeake region. The farm bill also provides unprecedented flexibility for Chesapeake Bay Watershed conservation funding, which will keep farmers farming and protect them from having to sell off farmland for commercial development.  

Other significant new provisions of the 2008 farm bill include the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund and the Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance Program. These comprehensive programs ensure quick relief for Delaware's farmers and growers if they suffer losses in a natural disaster.

Applying New Technologies

The creation and application of new farm technologies is vital to the survival and growth of Delaware's farming economy. With recent advances in the field of biotechnology, we can increase the number of products that can be profitably derived from the crops grown in our state. Advanced biofuels have greater energy content than corn ethanol, require less fossil fuel to formulate and are critical to reducing our dependence on foreign oil and combating climate change. These are the technologies that will drive a sustainable energy future based on clean, domestic energy sources, some of which are being grown and developed in Delaware. I will continue working to support clean fuel technologies that make sense for America.