HARRINGTON, Del. – For as long as there has been a Delaware State Fair, the first states farmers and agriculture sector has been at the heart of it, and this year it is no different.

“If you look at the history of the fair, this is the 100th and fourth year of the Delaware State Fair. This fair was actually started for farmers to exhibit their livestock and their crops, so agriculture and the state fair history is for both is one and the same and with agriculture being Delaware’s number one industry,” said Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse. 

Scuse tells 47ABC that’s why they’ve worked hard to make sure every industry is well represented in all aspects for the fair. 

From a VR experience that let fairgoers step into a chicken house and learn about just how much poultry Delaware produces to a cooking show in which recipes use one of Delaware’s most popular exports; watermelons. 

“It’s important that we get the masses here to showcase what agriculture really does, it supplies the food that we all eat and the nourishment. And then every day we have a food demonstration here,” Scuse said.

Delmarva Chicken Association tells us they were also in attendance highlighting how crucial boiler chickens is for the state.

“The broiler industry is the number one agriculture industry in Delaware. So we contribute a lot to the economy in Delaware. And there are a lot of businesses that rely on the industry as well, so it’s essential to the area. So they need and I think it’s important for the community to understand that,” said Volunteer Jennifer Timmons.

But it’s not just history or the present, the fair is also highlighting the future of farming showing off brand-new farming equipment, some of it with eye-watering 7-figure price tags.

The display shows the real financial and time commitment that goes into bringing us the food we need, a job that’s done predominantly by local farmers.

“These are family farms, this is how two and three and sometimes four generations are on a farm making an income and making a difference for Delaware,” Scuse said.