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Celebrating Food and Agriculture Education in Delaware
Agriculture is a fundamental STEM industry of the First State
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From understanding how food is grown to developing career skills, agricultural education is not only important for the continued success of Delaware agriculture, but it is vital to feeding future generations worldwide. Educators know opportunities abound for today's STEM students to make a profound difference in the world.
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“If you are interested in science, technology, engineering or math and
want to have an impact on the lives of people and animals
or work on solutions for some of the biggest global challenges,
then food and agriculture is the place for you.”
– Ronda Hamm
Global Academic Relations Leader, Corteva Agriscience
Source: Food and Agriculture is STEM, eBook by STEMconnector
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This month’s issue highlights Food and Ag Education efforts around the State of Delaware.
STEM is everywhere! Even at the Delaware State Fair and in the classroom.
We hope you enjoy this edition!
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Department of Agriculture Offers Educational Programs and Speakers
The Delaware Department of Agriculture offers progressive educational programs providing a wide range of studies for both students and adults to increase agriculture literacy and appreciation of agriculture. Programs include nutrient management, food safety, firefighting, beekeeping, and ownership and breeding of animals.
The Delaware Department of Agriculture can provide speakers on a variety of agricultural and food issues to your organization or group. For a complete list, click here.
To request a speaker, contact Stacey Hofmann, Chief of Community Relations, at 1-800-262-8685 or 302-698-4520 or Stacey.Hofmann@delaware.gov. Please include your organization’s name, preferred dates, times and locations; audience (size, background, ages); and format of the event (single speaker, roundtable discussion, brown-bag lunch, etc.)
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FFA members accompany Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long and Governor John Carney as they visit STEM and STEAM agricultural displays on Governor’s Day at the Delaware State Fair. | |
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STEM is Everywhere, even at the Delaware State Fair!
An Amazing Event with STEM Displays and Activities Far and Wide
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This summer, a tour of the Delaware State Fair proved how you can find STEM in our state’s largest industry, Food and Ag, alongside other products and technologies. The Fair offered a variety of exhibits focusing on agriculture, livestock and technology, many with hands-on activities that were both fun and educational.
STEM was quite visible in FFA, 4H and DNREC exhibits and in our conversations. University of Delaware, Delaware State and Delaware Technical Community College exhibits highlighted STEM as well.
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Delaware Aglands Permanently Preserves 3,800 Acres | |
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During a stop at the Delaware Agriculture Education & Commodities Building at the Delaware State Fair, Governor John Carney announced an additional 3,827 acres on 54 farms are now permanently preserved for future generations.
2022 marks the 26th consecutive year of easement selections by the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation. In this round, three farms in New Castle County, 26 in Kent County and 23 in Sussex County were preserved, and added two easements for forestland preservation.
“Farmland preservation is not just about preserving Delaware’s number one industry. It’s ensuring our residents have access to Delaware-grown food; that our next generation has a career in agriculture — no matter whether it’s on the farm, working in agribusiness, teaching agriscience to our youth, or developing the latest technology; and the heritage, culture, and beauty of rural Delaware can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse.
Scuze added, “In this round, nine easements in the Inland Bays watershed were selected, encompassing 486 acres. This is the most Inland Bays easements we have selected in one year and the most acres in the last twenty years. This is a big deal to ensure these communities have local farms providing them healthy food into the future.”
To read the full Delaware.gov Delaware News article, click here.
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Free eBook by STEMconnector
Food & Agriculture is STEM
With a global food shortage expecting to
double over the next few years, the food and agriculture industry faces significant challenges.
Possibly an even greater challenge is having a robust and diverse STEM talent pool to address the global issues of food production and sustainability. An education in STEM opens a world of opportunities in the food and agriculture industry, and yet too few STEM students consider agricultural pathways.
In this eBook, we explore the crossroads of STEM in food and agriculture, shining a light on careers and pathways to engage and inspire the next generation to consider opportunities in the food and agriculture industry. We’re talking drone bees, autonomous tractors and robots. Although it sounds like sci-fi, these are real technologies helping farmers improve production and solve the global food shortage.
To download this FREE visual eBook by by STEMconnector, click here.
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Brad Adelson is leading the University of Delaware PCS New Foundations of Brewing Science and Brewery Operations program. Photo courtesy of Brad Adelson. | |
Something's Brewing at the University of Delaware | |
Brad Adelson, the brewmaster at Lost Planet Brewing, will be leading a new 10-week certificate program Foundations of Brewing Science and Brewery Operations.
Classes will cover from grain to glass, from topside operation all the way through packaging and quality assessment in the lab. Focus will be on the process from fermentation up to packaging – what happens in the process of turning this sugary liquid known as wort into beer.
Adelson says, “With a surge in craft breweries, the university was looking for a way to help brewers meet demand when looking for brewery employees. Maybe the ideal candidate for this class is somebody who loves to home brew and wants to get into the brewing industry, this course is going to give them a good foundational knowledge."
Classes begin in September and are open to anyone over 21, as part of UD's Division of Professional and Continuing Studies.
For more information, click here.
Source: Chris Carl, Director of News & Programming for WDEL-AM/FM and WDEL, courtesy of UDaily
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Should Beer be Considered a Food Group?
According to Real Food Encyclopedia, beer should be considered one of the major food groups. Here’s why: Beer is a beverage, as the majority of its composition is water; however, given that it's also made with cereal grains, hops and yeast, all of this combined goodness is oftentimes a meal in itself.
“Beer was originally a rather cheap meal, considered a
kind of liquid bread, suitable for both monks and laymen.”
- Daniel Esparsa, Aleteia
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DFSME Thanks Autumn Arch Beer Project
for their Generous Donation toward STEM Education
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DFSME was selected by patrons of Autumn Arch Beer Project as recipient of their donation dedicated to STEM education. The Project, a local, small-batch, experimental brewery and tasting room, is owned and operated by three members of the Vennard family – all engineers at W.L. Gore. Using the science of fermentation to explore flavor profiles, UD graduates Jimmy and Daniel Vennard opened Autumn Arch Beer Project in 2019.
Making beer is a STEM career!
The brewery shares space with its tasting room, so you can see the brewing process in action.
Autumn Arch Beer Project is located in Newark, Delaware.
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The new Agriculture, Science and Technology building will replace DSU’s baseball field on the southern edge of the Dover campus. Illustration courtesy of DSU. | |
DSU is Constructing New Ag Science Building | |
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With some empty land on hand from its second campus, Delaware State University has started construction on a new agriculture sciences building. The new building will include greenhouse pods, classrooms, an auditorium, demonstration area, kitchen, and collaboration space as well as offices.
DSU’s College of Agriculture, Science and Technology is a research facility working with both public and private sectors on research partnerships. Through its Center for Integrated Biological and Environmental Research, the university collaborates on environmental and life sciences research with Delaware Technical Community College and the University of Delaware.
DSU hopes to ramp up the infrastructure needed to quickly grow its academic and research efforts to address food insecurity on a global scale. With another partnership with the USDA to conduct research at the university, DSU hopes that a new facility will bring it closer to the cutting edge of agriculture science.
To read the full article in Delaware Business Times, click here.
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Register Now for Two Virtual Educational Conferences!
Friday, October 14, 2022
FREE! Delaware Math Equity Annual Conference (Virtual)
Statewide-In-Service: Delaware Equity Summit
Free Professional Learning Dedicated to Equity in Math
“Cultivating and Promoting Equitable Climates of Learning”
Conference sessions include a range of highly relevant topics and addressing systemic challenges of equity in education and the community.
Featured speakers include:
Tanji Reed Marshall (Ed Trust), Jo Boaler (Stanford University), Pamela Jones Seda (Co-author of "Choosing to See: A Framework for Equity in the Math Classroom"), Beth Herbel-Eisenmann (MSU),
Eli Luberoff (Desmos), Mandy Jansen (UD), and many other inspiring leaders of math reform!
For info or to register for the Oct. 14th Math Equity Conference, click here.
For sponsorship information, click here.
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Save the Date! October 15, 2022
FREE! Delaware STEM Equity Conference (Virtual)
“What Does STEM Equity Success Look Like?”
Leaders of Delaware’s STEM Council, Delaware Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education, Delaware Mathematics Coalition, and Forum for the Advancement of Minorities in Engineering (FAME) are committed to building structures and systems that eliminate barriers to success in mathematics. The Oct 15th DE STEM Equity Conference engages PK20 educators, policy makers, and business leaders in meaningful learning experiences that are designed to leverage their capacity as agents of change.
Sessions leaders include highly respected local and national STEM leaders who will engage participants in conversations and learning focused on positively influencing and impacting classroom and systems level equity challenges in STEM.
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Educators, Business and STEM friends...
Interested in Participating as a Panelist Saturday, Oct. 15?
Share Your STEM Equity Success Story!
Click here to download pdf for more details.
Click here to download a Equity Success submission form.
Email submission form to anne.dfsme@gmail.com with
“STEM Conference Panelist” in the subject line.
SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY SEPTEMBER 15, 2022.
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Congrats to Delaware Women Hall of Fame Honorees! | |
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We congratulate all of the 2022 Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame honorees!
Thanks for your contributions and for being incredible role models for women across Delaware.
Be sure to read about the 2022 inductees as well as check out our new Hall of Fame website. Not only can you see all the portraits, but you can also read more about each member of the Delaware Women's Hall of Fame.
A special shout out to Inductee Teri Quinn Gray, DFSME Board Member and Co-chair of the Delaware STEM Council!
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Nominations for the 2022-23 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, or PAEMST, are OPEN!
PAEMST recognizes the best in #STEM education. If you know a 7th-12th grade STEM teacher using innovative methods in their classroom, and would like to nominate them, click here.
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Food & Ag by the Numbers
The Delaware Department of Agriculture announced that Delaware farmers’ markets had nearly $3.16 million in sales last year.
As the second-highest sales year on record for Delaware’s farmers’ markets, the numbers have proven demand for buying locally-grown products is strong among residents and visitors to the First State!
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September
Discovery Education - Two Courses Available:
Getting Started with Discovery Education
Participants learn how to navigate Discovery Education’s K-12 learning platform on
Sept 12 at 2:30 p.m.; Sept 22 at 2:00 p.m.; and Sept 27 at 3:00 p.m.
Supporting Literacy Across All Disciplines with Discovery Education
Sept 14 at 3:00 p.m.; Sept 20 at 2:30 p.m.; and Sept 29 at 2:00 p.m.
For course descriptions and to download the flyer, click here.
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September 2
National Food Bank Day
Help your community by making a donation or volunteer at your local food bank.
Food banks take nonperishable food items and cash donations every day.
Check their needs list for the fresh items they are seeking.
Use #NationalFoodBankDay to give your local food bank a shout-out and
to share on social media.
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October 2 • 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Coast Day - Lewes, Delaware
After three years, Coast Day returns to the UD Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes!
Coast Day showcases how University of Delaware scientists, staff, and students
are improving our understanding of ocean environments and serve coastal communities.
Attendees interact with researchers, try hands-on activities, and attend presentations on a range
of topics, providing fun while learning about coastal, marine and environmental science.
For more information and to register, click here.
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Register Now! October 14-15
Delaware Mathematics & STEM Equity Conferences
Two powerful days of professional learning dedicated to Equity in Math and STEM.
Hosted by the Delaware Mathematics Coalition, Delaware Department of Education,
Delaware Foundation for Science and Mathematics Education, Delaware STEM Council, and FAME.
To Register for the FREE Oct. 14th Math Equity Conference, click here.
Save the Date! Registration info for this FREE Oct. 15 STEM Equity Conference coming soon!
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Save the Date! November 17
8th Annual Delaware STEM Educator Awards Ceremony
Live Zoom Videocast from Buena Vista Country Estate in New Castle, Delaware.
Co-hosted by Delaware STEM Council and DFSME, the event announces winners at the
Elementary School (K-5), Middle School (6-8) and High School (9-12) levels,
the Community Educator Awards, the Jon Manon STEAM Team Educator Award and others!
For more information, click here.
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Our Sponsors & Supporters | |
DFSME thanks the following organizations for contributions to STEM education in Delaware. | |
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Delaware Foundation for Science and Math Education
100 W. 10th Street, Suite 612
Wilmington, DE 19801
Tel: 302.397.0034 | Fax: 302.397.0036
Email: anne.dfsme@gmail.com
www.dfsme.org
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©2022 Delaware Foundation for Science & Math Education
501(c)(3) Education nonprofit dealing with K-16 STEM education in Delaware schools.
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