Produce Farms

Delaware Produce and Transportation

Guiding the Eating Habits of the Nation

Delaware fruit and vegetable acreage varies each year but currently ranges from 45,000 to 55,000 acres.  Approximately 1/3 of the acreage goes to the fresh market. Produce grown in the remaining 2/3 of acreage is commercially processed by freezing, canning, or pickling with a focus on sweet corn, green peas, lima beans, cucumbers, spinach, green beans and tomatoes.1


The Delaware family farms highlighted in this section of the exhibition are a cross-section of historic and modern-day farms involved in growing produce for the fresh and processed market (i.e., canning, freezing) dating back to the late 1600s.  The list of farms is representative of the produce industry in the state over many decades, it is not exhaustive.   

Adams Home Farm (Greenwood / Bridgeville, Delaware vicinity)


The Adams Home Farm is an example of a large agricultural concern that owes its early prosperity to the Delaware Railroad beginning in 1858 when the rails reached Bridgeville, Delaware.  The railroad not only created a market for Delaware produce outside the state it also enabled farmers to "obtain better prices and greatly increase the value of their lands." 2


In the early twentieth century the Adams family became involved in agricultural diversification beginning with truck farming where they grew a variety of produce, poultry (chicken) farming, and grain production.         

Typical of farms in rural Delaware in the pre-World War II era, there was no electricity on the Adams farm.  Electricity was eventually introduced into the house, barns, and their packing house for sorting peaches. More than three-quarters of the agricultural resources (buildings and other structures) erected on the farm between 1900 and 1953, still stand today. Rather than demolish the historic resources on the farm, they were adaptively reused by each subsequent generation of the family.

 Among the buildings contributing to the significance of the Adams property include migrant farm workers housing (ca. 1930) and a fruit packing house (ca. 1950).


Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015, the Adams Home Farm “…possesses a unique concentration of agricultural resources which together symbolize the variety of farming practices associated with Northwest Fork Hundred and Sussex County from the 1850s to the 1950s.”3

Clifton Farms, Inc. (Milford, Delaware)


The Clifton family has grown vegetables, soybeans and grains on their farm south of Milford, Delaware, since the 1920s.  


In 1948, the Clifton’s started a cannery, Carlton Clifton & Sons, where they processed peas and lima beans. The business was later renamed Clifton Canning Company, Inc.

“Our farm has nine pea harvesters, and they are roughly 30 years old. Even though they’re older machines they get the job done. We keep them maintained because a brand-new pea harvester costs about $1,000,000.” Don Clifton

In the early days, the Clifton's “pea harvester” was a truck with the cab cut off. The viner was mounted on the rear axle of the truck and pulled with a tractor. The loader cut the pea vines and pulled them into the viner, the pea pods would fall out on the truck platform. A crew of men walked behind the truck and put the pods in burlap bags; afterward, the peas were taken to the family (Clifton) cannery for processing. The Clifton’s closed the cannery in 1995, after nearly 50 years in business. The closure marked the end of the vegetable cannery industry in the state.


Clifton Farms, Inc.  grows, harvests, and cleans approximately 5 million pounds of peas and baby lima beans annually for Seabrook Brothers & Sons (New Jersey). 4


Deputy Farm (Lincoln, Delaware)


For nearly 300 years, eight generations of Deputy’s have farmed the same land in Sussex County northwest of Ellendale, Delaware.

 

The family farm legacy began in the late 1600s when William Townsend established a farm in an area of Delaware known as Cedar Creek Hundred. William’s daughter, Elizabeth, later married Sylvester Deputy and upon her father’s death they inherited 150 acres of the farm. Two generations later, one of their grandsons, William, inherited the farm from his father, Solomon. William called the farm his “Mansion Farm.” There were 94 apple trees on the farm at the time of his inheritance. Oats, wheat, and corn were also produced on the farm, based upon an 1841 farm sales ledger. 

 

In the 1940s the Stayton’s grew lima beans and later green beans for the processed (canned) market under contract with Libby, McNeil, & Libby (Houston), King Cole (Milton), and Torsch Canning Company (Milford) Delaware. 5

In the early 20th century Lulu “May” Deputy married Thomas Nehemiah Stayton.  The Stayton-Deputy family grew tomatoes, peaches, apples, and watermelon.  Their fruit was shipped to area canneries by barge on the Mispillion River (near Milford, Delaware) and also by horse drawn wagons.


S.H. Derby & Co. (Woodside, Delaware)


Samuel H. Derby moved to the Woodside, Delaware, area from New York state in 1878. His purpose was to grow fruit, primarily apples, along with peaches, tomatoes, pumpkins, and other types of produce.  At one point, Samuel Derby had the largest apple operation in the state with 300 acres of apples in operation, plus another 100 acres of other crops. He and other local growers were instrumental in making Kent County the “Delaware Apple Belt”. 


In the 1880s, the Derby’s started a cannery on their kitchen stove. They later built their own cannery and packinghouse at Woodside under the name S.H. Derby & Co. Like most other cannery operations in the state at that time, they shipped their canned goods to market by rail. 

 

S.H. Derby & Co. operation changed when the U.S. canning industry transitioned to a new type of can, at that point S.H. Derby & Co. sold their cannery to Green Giant. In the 1950s the company grew asparagus for Libby, McNeil & Libby, and later tomatoes (for Libby’s) as well as growing tomatoes for Heinz and Campbell’s Soup. In the 1960s, the farm grew sweet corn for Wheatley’s (now Hanover Foods, Clayton, Delaware) and peppers for San-Del. The S.H. Derby & Co. farm was sold to Fifer Orchards in 1972.  6

S.H. Derby & Co. was one of the first canneries in the state to employ women. They worked as peelers, packers, and, in some instances, solderers, sealing caps on tin cans. By the 1920s, the number of females employed as seasonal workers in canneries across Delmarva exceeded that of male workers. 7

Highland Orchards (Wilmington, Delaware)


Within a few miles of Delaware’s largest population center, a small farm with a big red barn offers fresh, pesticide-free produce year-round. Established in 1832 by Clark Webster, Highland Orchards farm remains in the family almost 200 years later.

At one point the Websters raised pigs, kept a herd of dairy cows, and grew a variety of produce as well as flowers. Twice weekly, they traveled to Wilmington’s King Street Farmers Market to sell their crops. When the market was abandoned after more than 150 years in operation, its demise had little effect on the Webster family who had already transitioned to on-farm sales to take advantage of the housing and baby booms of the 1950s in and around Wilmington.


When John Webster retired, his daughter, Elaine, and her children assumed stewardship of the farm. They expanded their offerings to year-round growing, a CSA program, and one-stop shopping for all types of produce. While some acreage was sold, the remaining core of five and a half acres forms the basis for their intensive four-season fruit and vegetable program. 8


Locally sourced produce is different from commercially grown produce.


Because of their size, small farms tend to use more sustainable farming practices that focus on soil health and biodiversity. Unlike commercial growers, they rely less on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and more on composting, cover crops, crop rotation, and the use of natural predators to control pests.

Marvel Farms (Harrington, Delaware)


The Marvel family has been engaged in farming on Delmarva since 1650 when the first of their ancestors arrived here as an indentured servant. Over the past 300+ years, the Marvels have grown a variety of fruits and vegetables for commercial and local markets including tomatoes, watermelons, peas, sweetcorn, lima beans, hot peppers, peaches, and string beans.  


In 1909, David Franklin Marvel purchased the Marvel Home Farm in Houston, Delaware.  With nine children, that meant nine mouths to feed and eighteen hands for picking. The family planted peas and tomatoes for the local cannery, Libby, McNeil and Libby, at Houston. David’s son John “Buck” Marvel and his wife Anna Mae took over the farm in the 1940s and raised their nine children on the farm. David Sr. and Frankie, sons of John, farmed the home farm. With the cooperation of the family, the home farm has passed down to cousins David Marvel Jr. and Stacey Marvel-Matlack.

Today, on their farm near Harrington, Delaware, David Marvel Sr., David Marvel Jr., and their family grow fruit and vegetables for both the fresh and processed food markets. They specialize in Mar-Del watermelons, a local brand they share with farmers in both Maryland and Delaware. 9


Under David’s leadership, the Fruit and Vegetables Growers Association of Delaware launched the first farm to school program in the state. Farm to school enriches communities’ connection with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and early care and education sites. Farm to school empowers children and their families to make informed food choices while strengthening the local economy and contributing to vibrant communities. 10

“We need to sustain local farmers who care about their environment and pass their love on to their children. If they chose to farm, we want our kids to have a market that is profitable. We’re not going to increase land; we need to make more on less acreage for future generations to keep on farming.”  David Marvel Jr.

Plum Creek Farms (Laurel, Delaware vicinity)


The Rider family has been farming on Delmarva for three generations. Over the decades they have grown watermelons, cantaloupes, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, squash, peas, sweetcorn, string beans, cabbage, and sweet potatoes for the fresh and processed market.

George Ellis Rider started farming with his cousin, Homer Rider near Laurel, Delaware, in the 1930s.  Their farming operation would eventually become known as “Rider Bros.”.   In the early 1960s, Jerry K. Rider began farming for Rider Bros. alongside his father, George.   

When George Rider passed away in 1970, Jerry assumed his father’s position in the Rider Bros. partnership. Rider Bros. dissolved their partnership in 1979. At that time, each partner created their own farming operation, Jerry Rider’s operation was named Redhead Farms. In 1992, Jerry’s son, Jay R. Rider, joined his father in the family business with the launch of Plum Creek Farms. The two operations mirrored each other as far as production practices. 


Upon Jerry’s retirement in 2020, Plum Creek Farms took over Redhead Farms and continues the tradition today under the Plum Creek Farms banner. Plum Creek Farms is 1,100 acres and includes land in southwest Sussex County, Delaware, and northwest Wicomico County, Maryland. 

A typical year at Plum Creek Farms begins with planting early crops such as peas around March 1st. The last of the crops harvested over the annual growing season are sweet potatoes just in time for Thanksgiving. 

In the 1950s-60s, the Rider’s packed their own fruit and vegetables and shipped them to processors and markets in Pennsylvania, New York, and Boston. 

Over the years, the family have grown produce for several commercial processing companies on Delmarva including Hanover Foods, S.E.W. Friel, Vlasic, DeCecco, Green Giant and King Cole.

                                                            What happens after the harvest? 

 

              “In the winter we focus on machine maintenance and also use the time to attend (grower)

                 meetings, and attend continuing education classes. We also take vacation!” Jay Rider

Rolle / Ficner Farm (Dover, Delaware vicinity)


The Rolle Farm (near Little Creek, DE), and Ficner Farm (between Leipsic and Cheswold, DE) represent multiple generations of New York potato farmers who later established farms in Delaware.


Potato farming has deep roots on Long Island, New York, dating back to the 18th century. The region’s fertile soil and favorable climate made it ideal for potato cultivation and Long Island became a prominent supplier of potatoes around the country.   In the 1950s, farmland on Long Island gave way to development and land became very expensive. During this time many potato farmers relocated to Delaware in search of cheaper land and conditions conducive to growing potatoes. 12

After a few bad weather years in the 1960s, the Ficner family shifted from growing potatoes, which they processed and packaged themselves, to growing tomatoes for Heinz ketchup and later to growing peppers for San-Del.  The Ficner's later grew sweet corn as well as other fresh market vegetables which they sold at their own farm market.


Today, Ficner Farm is a small market farm that sells exclusively at the retail level to various farmers markets in Delaware. 13

The Rolle Farm (Little Creek, Delaware), and Ficner Farm situated between Leipsic and Cheswold, Delaware, represent multiple generations of New York potato farmers who planted new roots in Delaware.


Vincent Farms (Laurel, Delaware)


Vincent Farms, Laurel, Delaware is a fifth-generation family business dating to 1900. The Vincents farm a total of 5000 acres across four states: Delaware, Maryland, South Carolina, and Florida.

 

In the early years of operation, Vincent Farms grew cantaloupe and watermelon. Because these types of perishable produce must be sold shortly after harvest, the crops were loaded onto wagons (later pickup trucks) and taken to the Laurel Auction Market "The Block" to be sold and were then shipped by rail to northern markets.

Over the years, the Vincents have grown sweet corn and tomatoes for S.E.W. Friel, and lima beans for Pictsweet. Today, the family grows, grades and packs watermelons, cantaloupes, sweet corn, bell peppers, tomatoes and pumpkins for wholesale distribution and retail sales at several major East Coast chain grocers.

Vincent Farms incorporates technology into their business practices as well as their modern farming techniques. This includes center pivot, travelling gun, and drip irrigation and the use of plastic mulch which conserves moisture and enables earlier maturing crops while reducing the need for herbicides. The results of annual soil tests and plant tissue samples are used to determine the application of nutrients. 14

“The most difficult part of my job is trying to figure out how many acres of each of our crops to grow each year. The crops that we grow are perishable and must be sold shortly after harvest. The demand for our crops is affected by many factors that are mainly unknown at planting time.” Ray Vincent

Charles H. West Farms, Inc.  (Milford, Delaware)

 

Charles H. West began farming at Milford, Delaware, in 1954. He and his wife, Lorraine, started their home farm from scratch with the purchase of a parcel of 155 acres and, over time, expanded their operations to become one of the largest agribusinesses in the northeastern United States. At their peak, they harvested more than 15,000 acres of crops. 


Charles H. West Farms, Inc. diversified their crops beginning in the 1960s with tomatoes and potatoes and later, lima beans and green peas (grown under contract for Seabrook Brothers & Sons and Hanover Foods). 

In 1978, the Wests purchased a vegetable processing and freezing plant in Bridgeville, Delaware, where they processed carrots, green peas, lima beans, and spinach. They sold the processing plant to Birdseye in 1998. Today, the plant is operated by Pictsweet. 

Technology has changed the face of farming for the Wests and other commercial growers.  Autosteer tractors with advanced GPS guidance systems enable farmers to navigate fields with precision.

Stanley West grew up farming side-by- side with his father, Charles, and later took the helm of the family farm that still bears his father’s name. Today, Charles H. West Farms, Inc. grows sweet corn for S.E.W. Friel and lima beans for Pictsweet. 

Shadybrook Farms (Dover,  Delaware)

 

The sons of Italian immigrants, Philip “Phil” Cartanza and his brothers grew up on the family farm in Swedesboro, New Jersey. Phil came to Delaware in the 1950s and began buying land along Route 9 in Dover with a dream of starting his own farm, which he did in 1957. He and his wife, Sandy, worked side-by-side for over 40 years building Shadybrook Farms. The farm is currently run by Phil's grandson, Paul Cartanza Jr, and great granddaughter, Taylor Cartanza.

In the 1980s, the Cartanza’s tilled over 5,000 acres of grain and potatoes. Today, they till 2,500 acres with just under 200 acres devoted to potatoes. They wash, sort and package their own potatoes at their packing plant in Dover. From there the potatoes are shipped to markets all along the east coast. In previous years, Shadybrook Farms potatoes were shipped across America as well as internationally to Canada and Mexico.

“As farmers, we face many challenges, but I would say the hardest part is planning for the future of agriculture. Farmland in the United States is rapidly decreasing, and farm production costs are steadily increasing, while income is declining.” Taylor Cartanza

Shadybrook Farms and other commercial growers work with agronomists who are hired to continuously scout farmer's crops looking for invasive pests and plant diseases.  When problems are identified, the agronomists provide recommendations as to how best to address them. 16

Sources:

  1. Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association of Delaware 
  2. Harold B. Hancock & Madeline Dunn Hite, Slavery Steamboats & Railroads (Seaford: Seaford Achievement, 1981), page 59. 
  3. The Adams Home Farm an Illustrated Historical & Architectural Description of an Old Family Farmstead in Northwest Fork Hundred of Sussex County, By Catherine Adams Masek
  4. Don Clifton, Clifton Farms, Inc.
  5. H. Grier Stayton (Deputy / Stayton Farm)
  6. Derby Walker (S.H. Derby & Co.)
  7. Sullivan, Mary Loretta, Women’s employment in vegetable canneries in Delaware. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1927)
  8. Ruth Webster Linton (Highland Orchards)
  9. David Marvel, Jr. (Marvel Farms)
  10. Farm to School - Delaware Department of Agriculture - State of Delaware
  11. Jay Rider, Plum Creek Farms, LLC
  12. From Where Potato Farms Once Reigned: Mineola Family Shares Piece Of Farming History – Long Island Weekly) 
  13. Justin Grimminger (Rolle / Ficner Farm)
  14. Ray Vincent (Vincent Farms)
  15. Stanley West (Charles H. West Farms, Inc.)
  16. Taylor Cartanza (Shadybrook Farms)


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