Philadelphia native Janice Truitt never thought she’d find herself farming 20 acres of corn and raising a crop of organic vegetables in the quiet Kent County town of Hartly, just west of Dover.
Truitt graduated from Delaware State University in 1973, and when she returned to the area 30 years later looking to lay claim to a piece of fertile soil, she knew where to turn for help coaxing a bounty from the land.
The university’s College of Agriculture and its Cooperative Extension office showed Truitt how to properly work her land, even in a season of heat and drought like Delaware has seen this year.
“Delaware State has been instrumental, they provided me with technical assistance, the irrigation, really the whole knowledge of growing,” she said. “Because of the new irrigation, I was able to really save my whole garden.”
Thanks to a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, DSU will be able to lend its expertise to more local, small-scale farmers like Truitt.
The grant, administered by the Delaware branch of the federal Farm Services Agency, also will be used to assist small farms in accessing benefits provided by the federal Farm Bill, especially growers and producers who are minorities.
“This grant ties right into our land-grant mission of serving farmers in the area,” said DSU President Dr. Harry L. Williams.
Delaware State is part of an extensive network of institutions established in 1862 and 1890 with the goal of providing agricultural education resources to the nation’s black population.
Dr. Albert Essel, associate dean for DSU’s extension office, said it’s especially important to provide those resources to small farmers, which make up three out of every five farmers in Delaware.
“Agriculture is the backbone of the state of Delaware,” he said. “Many of these small farmers need assistance to be profitable.”
Essel said extension agents will help farmers develop a wide range of strategies to ensure the success of their farms, including exploring different crops or uses for the land.
Don Clifton, of the FSA, said the grant will help agents get into the field and popularize the services offered by DSU and the federal government.
The USDA administers several loan and grant programs available to farmers, but the paperwork required can be daunting, especially to farmers who face a language barrier or have limited access to technology.
“The timing for this outreach couldn’t be better,” Clifton said. “Farm credit is very tight. Farmers need help preparing applications.”
Clifton said his office provides credit counseling and assists farmers with their business plans.
It also helps farmers obtain disaster relief funding and insurance, which can be essential in times of bad weather.
Sen. Tom Carper, who was on hand for the grant announcement at DSU Aug. 17, said the funding will shore up an important base of Delaware’s economy.
“We need DSU to be the locomotive, the economic engine,” he said. “We especially need that in central and southern Delaware.”
Email Doug Denison at doug.denison@doverpost.com.
