For 13 years, the Historic Lewes Farmers Market (HLFM) has awarded scholarships to small-scale Delmarva farmers to attend sustainable farming conferences.
This year, five-$400 scholarships were awarded. Scholarships from the regular Historic Lewes Farmers Market (HLFM) scholarship fund went to: Zachary Dittmar of Dittmar Family Farms in Felton, Delaware and Henry Bennett of Bennett Orchards in Frankford, Delaware.
In 2016, the HLFM established an emerging women farmers’ scholarship fund in loving memory of Delaware farmer Debra Schaefer. This year, three farmers received a Debra Schaefer Scholarship for Emerging Women Farmers: Caitlin Patton Rosenberg of Double Forte Farm in Galena, Maryland; Crystal Giesey of Masterpiece Flowers in Parsonburg, Maryland; and Crystal J. Sankar of Four Mothers Farm in Princess Anne, Maryland.
Dittmar and Sankar will attend the Future Harvest CASA Conference in College Park, Maryland. Rosenberg will attend PASA Farming for the Future Conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Bennett will attend the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia. Giesey will attend the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers Back to Basics for Cut Flower Conference in Oberlin, Ohio.
Consistent with its mission, the Board of Directors of the HLFM is committed to supporting farmers and emerging farmers who grow local fruits, vegetables, produce, flowers, and more, and these scholarships help small Delmarva farmers become educated about sustainable farming practices.
For more information about the Historic Lewes Farmers Market and their farmer’s scholarship program call 302-644-1436.