1:48 p.m., Jan. 14, 2010----Gov. Jack Markell has declared the week of January 18-23 to be Delaware Agriculture Week and urges all residents of the state to celebrate and understand Delaware's modern agricultural industry and to thank the hard working men and women of Delaware agriculture.

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The fifth annual Ag Week is sponsored by University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, Delaware State University Cooperative Extension and the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

The sponsors and many partners will give the agricultural community an excellent opportunity to come together to share knowledge on a host of topics crucial to sustaining Delaware's vital agricultural industry. A weeklong series of workshops and sessions will be held primarily at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington.

For general information, program details, and session and presentation locations, check the Ag Week Web site or contact Emmalea Ernest at (302) 856-7303 or [emmalea@udel.edu].

Ed Kee, Delaware secretary of agriculture, said, “I am really pleased to see Ag Week become a tradition in Delaware. Agriculture brings more than $1 billion to Delaware's coffers. This is because our producers and our industry constantly search for and implement ways to improve their methods, to be better stewards of our natural resources, and to provide top quality produce, poultry, meats, and other agricultural products.”

Kee continued, “The continued growth in participation since the first Ag Week in 2006 is a testament to the agricultural community's commitment to excellence. Last year we had more than 1500 participants.”

Presenters will include local farmers; commodity boards, associations and councils; the agricultural industry; agencies of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); state agencies; local and regional universities from Delaware, Maryland, Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey and Virginia; NASA; and the Delaware Geological Survey.