Governor Matt Meyer, Agriculture Secretary Don Clifton honor America 250 Farms at Delaware State Fair

A celebration with its roots decades before the nation’s founding took place Thursday as Delaware Governor Matt Meyer and Agriculture Secretary Don Clifton honored three families as America 250 Farms during Governor’s Day activities at the Delaware State Fair.

The America 250 Farms award recognizes First State families who have owned and farmed their land for at least 250 years, in honor of America’s 250th birthday celebration and the State Fair’s theme of America 250. The farms must include at least 10 acres of the original parcel or gross more than $10,000 annually in agricultural sales.

The honored America 250 Farms include:

• Dukes Farm (New Castle County): Off Cedar Swamp Road southeast of Odessa, the property has been in the Dukes family since 1730. Owner Neal Dukes is the ninth generation of his family to be on the farm, with son Brody representing the upcoming 10th generation.
• Hill Island Farm (New Castle County): Off Noxontown Road near Middletown, the property consists of approximately 430 acres, 285 of which are farmed for corn, soybeans and wheat. R. Smith III and his sister Lea Hutchins are the eighth generation to be owners of the property, which dates to 1720. The main Hill Island Farm building, completed in 1790, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1992. 
• Stayton Farm (Sussex County): Of the 295 acres that now encompass the farm in Lincoln, the original 215 acres came to the family through a grant from William Penn and have been passed down through the family. Owner Grier Stayton took over the farm from his father. His son Nicholas will be the 13th generation to be a steward of the land, dating from 1728. On the tillable ground, the farm produces alfalfa, corn and soybeans.

“I am humbled to be in the presence of families who have spent more than 10 generations caring for their land,” Governor Matt Meyer said. “With all of the craziness going on in the world today, rest assured we will do everything in our power to protect that legacy and ensure Delaware agriculture thrives for generations to come.”

The recognized properties are some of the oldest continuously one-family owned farms in the Delaware Century Farm Program, which has honored 163 families since its establishment in 1987.

“Today’s honored guests have well eclipsed 100 years, left 200 years behind and have even all passed or are close to 300 years of single-family ownership in Delaware, when it was a state, an English colony and even part of Pennsylvania,” Secretary Don Clifton added. “What a remarkable agricultural journey these families have enjoyed.”

Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay, state legislators, cabinet leaders and other First State officials were among the attendees at the ceremony in the Agricultural Commodities Building at the state fairgrounds in Harrington. The 107th Delaware State Fair runs through Saturday, with the Agricultural Commodities Building open until 8 p.m. each day.

Also during Thursday’s event, the Delaware Forestry Association scholarship was awarded to Zachary Binnie, a recent Odessa High School graduate and an incoming University of Delaware freshman.