Governor Meyer Signs Bipartisan Legislation Supporting Delaware Farmers, Expanding Access To Healthy, Local Food

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Media Contact:
Jonah Anderson
[email protected]

FRANKFORD, Del. - Governor Matt Meyer today signed Senate Bill 53, establishing the Delaware Farm to Community Program in state law and strengthening a program that connects Delaware farmers with local markets while increasing access to fresh, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, eggs and breads for communities across the state.

Joined by Senator Gerald Hocker, local farmers, members of the Delaware Farm & Food Council, Delaware Farm Bureau, and community partners at Bennett Orchards in Frankford, Governor Meyer signed legislation ensuring the continuation of a program that has created more predictable markets for local farmers while helping food pantries, senior centers and other community organizations purchase and distribute fresh food to Delawareans at no cost.

"Delaware-grown food strengthens our economy and the health of our community," said Governor Matt Meyer. "We are investing in local businesses, jobs, public health, land preservation, rural communities, and a more resilient Delaware. We are proud to be supporting the people who grow our food and making sure that food reaches the people who need it."

"This initiative supports our farmers, expands access to nutritious food, and builds resilience into our food supply chain," said Senate Minority Leader Gerald Hocker of Ocean View. "It is a practical, results-driven approach that benefits both producers and consumers in every corner of our state."

After the federal government abruptly ended Local Food Purchase Assistance funding in 2025, the Meyer administration continued the program using state funding. Senate Bill 53 codifies Farm to Community as a state-led initiative, ensuring its continuity while requiring Delaware to pursue future federal funding opportunities that support local food procurement if they become available.

The Delaware Farm to Community Program connects local farmers directly with community outlets like food pantries, senior centers, community-based organizations and other locations that receive funding to subsidize their food budgets to specifically purchase and distribute locally grown food. Unlike food donation programs, Delaware Farm to Community is a market-based model in which farmers are paid for the food they produce while participating community outlets receive funding to expand their food budgets to purchase fresh, locally grown options.

The program was established in 2023 by the Delaware Farm & Food Council through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement. In just over two growing seasons the program has grown to include 33 local farmers supplying more than 100 varieties of fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products and other foods to nine community outlets collectively serving 113 food distribution sites across Delaware.

To date, community outlets have purchased $2.3 million in locally grown food, participating farmers have established five dedicated transportation routes that provide same-day pickup and aggregation from farms and delivery to food distribution sites across all three counties.

The program also provides Delaware farmers with more predictable demand at a time when producers are navigating higher costs for labor, energy, transportation, equipment and other inputs, along with uncertainty in commodity markets and trade. For specialty crop producers and orchards, those pressures are compounded by weather, changing growing seasons and the significant investment required years before new plantings become productive.

The legislation strengthens Delaware's local food supply chain by connecting producers directly with markets in their own state. That approach gives farmers additional opportunities to sell what they grow while making Delaware less vulnerable to disruptions in distant supply chains and increasing the availability of fresh, seasonal food in communities experiencing food insecurity.

Governor Meyer was joined by Senator Hocker, Bennett Orchards owner and operator Henry Bennett, owners of Reid Angus farms, Delaware Farm & Food Council members, Delaware Farm Bureau representatives, original community outlet, Historic Lewes Farmers Market, participating farmers and representatives from community organizations involved in the Farm to Community Program.

Photos from the signing can be found here.

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