STATE OF DELAWARE

governor’s office

DOVER

EXECUTIVE ORDER

Number 20: In Observance of War Hero and Delaware Farmer Robert ‘Bob’ Minner, Jr.

WHEREAS, Bob Minner has remained dedicated to Delaware agriculture since he started farming near Houston, Delaware with his father in the 1950s until the advent of the Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS, following the Vietnam War, Bob Minner chose to return to his Delaware roots and to the present day, Bob Minner continuously farmed more than 400 acres where he produced First Rate From the First State; and

WHEREAS, because quality farmland is essential to the productivity and sustainability of Delaware agriculture, Bob Minner and his family are actively engaged in permanently preserving their farmland as a legacy for future generations; and

WHEREAS, in 1970, Bob Minner entered into a more than 40-year direct store delivery relationship with Acme Markets in the region through which he helped establish a clear connection between the agriculture community of Delaware and the food Delawareans put on their tables by providing a large volume of produce from his own fields, such as watermelons, cantaloupes, squash, pumpkins and gourds, to the markets; and

WHEREAS, over the course of these 40 years, Bob Minner helped his fellow Delaware farmers by purchasing produce from them, $75,000-80,000 annually, for direct store delivery to Acme Markets; and

WHEREAS, the success of the great heritage of Delaware agriculture through the years depended on men and women with Bob Minner’s knowledge and education.

Now, Therefore, We, Jack A. Markell, Governor, and Matthew Denn, Lieutenant Governor, do hereby declare August 12, 2010 Bob Minner Day in the State of Delaware and urge all Delawareans to follow his example of courage, dedication and hard work.

Jack A. Markell,

Governor