‘Day on the Farm’ slated June 18

4:34 p.m., May 25, 2005--When a Woodside Farm Creamery customer asked Jim Mitchell why he fenced in deer, the Hockessin farmer knew it was time to do a little teaching. The “deer” were actually fawn-colored Jersey cows, the ones his family milks twice daily to produce the farm-fresh homemade ice cream that hundreds of people eagerly line up for all summer long.

“Ours is one of the few farms left in this area,” Mitchell, whose family business is a 75-acre working farm that has been in the family for more than 200 years, said. “The ice cream gets people here; then, as they look around, they have questions. My family and I take every opportunity to teach. It’s important that our neighbors understand what we do here, how we do it and what every farmer in the country contributes to their lives.”

Visitors to the annual “Day on the Farm” event will have the opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at Delaware agriculture from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, June 18, at Woodside Farm on North Star Road in Hockessin. The event is free, and the first 500 visitors will receive free ice cream.

“Our ‘Day on the Farm’ exhibits are on everything from corn and soybeans, the poultry industry and horses, to nutrition and dairy production,” Carl Davis, agricultural agent for New Castle County Cooperative Extension at UD, said. “Our goal is to present hands-on learning experiences to entertain and inform all ages.”
UD Cooperative Extension, agricultural organizations, agencies, businesses and commodity groups will be on hand with exhibits, tours, demonstrations and interactive displays to give visitors an idea of the magnitude and diversity of First State agriculture--Delaware’s number-one industry.

Activities will include hayrides, a GPS (global-positioning system) activity, simulated cow milking, agricultural equipment displays, straw bale maze for the kids, a honeybee colony demonstration, a Guiding Paws dog exhibition, spinners and weavers, a woodland walk, a composting demonstration, exhibits on safety, food safety, nutrition and more.

Woodside Farm Creamery will be open for business, and New Castle County 4-H leaders, and other groups will sell a variety of foods related to our agricultural industry to include hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks.

Admission is free. For more information, call the New Castle County Cooperative Extension office at (302) 831-COOP or visit [http://ag.udel.edu/extension/ncc/index.html].

Photos by Danielle Quigley

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