Special sessions, featured speakers coming to State Fairgrounds next month

DOVER - Continuing a 20-plus year tradition, the First State's agricultural community is set to gather at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington to celebrate Delaware Agriculture Week on Jan. 12-15, 2026.

Wide-ranging breakout sessions, continuing education credits, industry experts and networking opportunities highlight the event, with several dozen vendors and exhibitors scheduled to be on site.

"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."

The session schedule includes the following events:

• Monday, Jan. 12: Afternoon-Poultry, Fruit sessions; Evening-Poultry, Beef sessions; Grain Marketing Club
• Tuesday, Jan. 13: Morning-General Vegetable, Hay and Pasture sessions; Afternoon-Fresh Market Vegetable, Swine sessions; Farm Risk Ready, Delaware Farm Bureau; Evening-Small Ruminant, Deer Management sessions
• Wednesday, Jan. 14: Morning-Processing Vegetables, Woodland Management sessions; Afternoon-Soil for Farmers, Pollinator sessions; DDA Farm To .. Programs; Evening-Soil Health, Small Flock Poultry sessions
• Thursday, Jan. 15: Morning-Agronomy (corn, sorghum, cover crop) session; Afternoon-Agronomy (soybean, small grains) session; Evening-Delaware Urban Farm & Food Coalition

Those looking to attend the event can find speaker and location information online at https://sites.udel.edu/delawareagweek. While registration is not required for the overall event, specific sessions require pre-registration.

NEW IN 2026: In the event of a poultry event requiring biosecurity measures, the sessions will be offered via live webinar. We are asking all those intending to attend in person to register at: http://www.udel.edu/0014007. Should the schedule change, attendees will be notified and provided with a link to attend the webinar.

Agriculture continues to be Delaware's top industry, with the food and agriculture sector providing more than 76,000 direct jobs and more than $31 billion in total economic activity, including $3.8 billion in direct wages. On 520,000 acres of farmland, Delaware's 2,150 family farms produce a wide variety of products, from corn and 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 Delaware Ag Week planning committee.

This event is brought to you by the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, and the Delaware State University Cooperative Extension. These organizations are equal opportunity providers. If you have special needs requiring accommodation, contact 302-831-3328.