Three Delaware farm families have been recognized for their longstanding involvement with UD Cooperative Extension, a relationship in each case that stretches back almost to the beginning of the program and has encompassed several generations.

Members of the Cook, Blessing and Hopkins families—from New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties, respectively—were honored by Cooperative Extension as part of its 90th birthday celebration at the Delaware State Fair in July.

The families, which raise a variety of products from dairy cows to corn to fish, have partnered with Cooperative Extension in numerous ways over the years. The adults have sought research-based advice from Extension agents, and the youngsters have participated in a range of 4-H projects that have included animal care, cooking, community service and woodworking.

Hap and Martha Cook’s 270-acre dairy farm on Frazer Road near Glasgow is a rarity now—a working farm, not only in New Castle County, but also north of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. The farm, which has been in their family for more than a century, today is surrounded by suburban housing developments.

“Dad was in 4-H when he was young, and then when he was farming, he was an Extension ‘cooperator’ right from the beginning,” Hap Cook, AG ’56, says. Martha Gruwell Cook, CHS ’56, also grew up on a farm, in Kent County, Del., and was active in her local 4-H club.

Today, the Cooks’ son, Herman Cook III, and his own son, 22-year-old Jordan, work on the farm with Hap Cook. The three generations will farm about 500 acres this year, including a few parcels they rent, raising corn, soybeans, hay, wheat and barley, in addition to their dairy herd.

Over all the years, the Cooks have continued their partnership with Cooperative Extension, particularly with the 4-H program. All four of their children and all nine grandchildren have been involved—attending summer camps, holding leadership positions in their local clubs and regional organizational boards, completing projects from sewing to woodworking and, of course, raising and showing animals.

“I think 4-H has really reached out to work with urban and suburban kids and to do more different kinds of projects with them,” Martha Cook says. “Even when they’re not doing a project with animals, it’s still a wonderful experience for kids.”

For Kent County resident Floyd Blessing, farming has been a commitment since he was 15 years old more than a half-century ago
and left school to help his parents make a go of their farm. The farm today in Houston, Del., is a far cry from its modest beginnings, now encompassing more than 1,500 acres, plus another leased 1,500 acres.

The Blessing family has grown as well. Floyd married a girl he grew up with, Helen Schmick, and they had two sons and a daughter—Joel, Kenny, AG’ 79, and Carol Argo, all of whom participated in 4-H—and four grandsons.

In the beginning, the Blessings had a dairy farm and grew small grains, then added vegetables. Now, they also grow soybeans, corn, wheat and barley. They have brood cows and steers and have raised goats, swine and sheep. Cutting-edge farmers, the Blessings now are raising tilapia in fish houses, which is Joel’s project. There are 24 tanks, each holding 8,500 fish—the only enterprise of its kind in Delaware.

Kenny is a full-time farmer with his father. He says he majored in animal science because, “I knew what to do and how to do it, but I didn’t know why. I got a well-rounded education at Delaware and still have strong ties there.”

In Sussex County, the value
of the support provided by Delaware Cooperative Extension is well understood by the Hopkins family, which has been farming in the Lewes area for more than a century and now operates the sprawling Green Acres Dairy Farm on Route 9.

The family began an enduring relationship with Cooperative Extension early in the 20th Century through Alden Hopkins Sr., and continues the affiliation to this day through brothers William Hopkins, AG  ’42, and Alden Hopkins Jr.; through William’s son, Walter Hopkins, AG ’70; and through Walter’s son, Burli Hopkins, now the farm’s chief herdsman. The relationship will continue into the foreseeable future with the fourth generation of the Hopkins family now coming of age and enrolling in Sussex County 4-H programs.

“We do a different type of farming than most people around here,” William Hopkins says. “All the crops we grow, the corn and the alfalfa, go through the cows. I like to say that we are refining crops into milk.”

Cooperative Extension also was responsible for the introduction of large-scale dairy farming in the Lewes area, according to William Hopkins, who recalls milking his first brindle cows at the age of 2. He says he cannot imagine a career in farming without Cooperative Extension.

“They have been instrumental in planting the seeds of so many important farm organizations, in providing countless demonstrations of better livestock and crop-management techniques,” he says. “They use every possible means to promote innovation in agriculture. Cooperative Extension truly is an extension of the University in rural education.”