The LEADelaware Program was established nearly twenty years ago to develop the leaders who can step forward to help ensure that Delaware’s agriculture and natural resources sectors remain secure and sustainable. LEADelaware is a partnership program between University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and the Delaware Department of Agriculture. Six cohorts of fellows have completed the two-year program with Class 7 wrapping up later this year.

Communication is the gateway to learning. Learning about a youth’s experience, whether it’s your child or someone else’s, requires knowing how to communicate with that child. Currently, youth are confronted with feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of suicide, as they contend with incidences of bullying at alarming rates. Many youths keep these thoughts, feelings, and occurrences to themselves. As the adults in their lives, we want to make sure we are having conversations to address these issues. Today, I lay out some guidelines and possible conversation starters to have with youth.

his year will be Klaira Wing’s first year participating in a competition at the Delaware State Fair. She’s ready to “kick up some fun,” the theme of this year’s event. “I’m excited to see my friends,” said the 6-year-old Cloverbud, a pre-4-Her from Seaford, Delaware. “I’ve been working on crafts, sewing, drawing and singing.”

There are several items to consider when establishing or renovating a lawn. Of course, water, light, soil nutrient levels, and temperature are essential, but one could easily argue that cultivar (cultivated variety) selection may be the most critical step in the long-term success and persistence of a lawn. Proper cultivar selection ensures that a particular turfgrass is best adapted to local conditions and will meet the turfgrass manager's use and maintenance expectations. Newer improved cultivars will establish quicker and form a denser turf to outcompete weeds. They require less supplemental irrigation, demand fewer fertilizer and pesticide applications, and maintain a more uniform turf stand throughout the growing season. These advantages ultimately translate into a significant reduction of inputs while still maintaining an excellent stand of turf.