The Milford Museum American History Series will continue on Saturday, May 10, at 1:00 p.m. at the Milford Public Library in Milford, Delaware. Author Ed Kee will be presenting a program about the history of the Canning Industry in Delaware and throughout the Delmarva Peninsula. Baltimore and the Delmarva Peninsula became the center of America’s canned food industry for 100 years, from the 1840s to the 1940s. By the end of the 19th century, over 387 canneries were operating in Maryland and 49 in Delaware. By 1919, that number increased to 111. Over 1,800 wage earners were employed by Delaware’s canning industry.
From the 1880s onward Milford supported four to eight canneries well into the 1960s. Important canneries flourished in Frederica, Harrington, Bridgeville, Lincoln City, and Milton. Indeed, nearly every town in Kent and Sussex Counties had a vegetable cannery; many specializing in tomatoes. Change and competition from California and other competitive regions led to the decline of Delaware and Milford’s canning industry. However, four vegetable processing firms still provide a market for Delaware farmers. Two operate in Delaware, one in New Jersey, and one in Maryland. The primary products are peas, lima beans, and sweet corn. Three of those companies are freezers, one is a canner.
Ed Kee served as Delaware’s Secretary of Agriculture from 2009 to 2017. He was the farm manager for Nassau Orchards before joining the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, serving for 30 years. His Extension roles included Kent County Ag Agent in 1978, then the Vegetable and Fruit Crops specialist in 1982. Kee has authored or co-authored more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed scholarly journals in agriculture and history. He has lectured on agricultural topics across the United States and has written five books on local agricultural history.
Kee co-founded LEAD Delaware, the state’s leadership program for young farmers and agriculturists. Kee also led the formation of Delaware Agricultural Week in 2006. In 2010, Kee served as President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Kee was instrumental in attracting major food processors to Delaware. As Secretary, he also helped create the Delaware Young Farmer’s Program, enabling beginning farmers to acquire their first farm with 0% interest loan for the purchase of a farm.
Sponsored by the Milford Museum, these monthly programs focus on a variety of topics concerning local, state, and national history. These presentations are held on the second Saturday of each month, at 1:00 p.m., in the Milford Public Library. The library is located at 11 S.E. Front Street in Milford, Delaware. For more information, please contact the Museum at (302) 424-1080, [email protected]. These programs are offered through a generous grant from The Delaware Heritage Commission.
