Economic Development Office, Kent County, MD

The Beginning of a Vineyard Trail

Kent County, Maryland has historically prized its agricultural heritage, and was named
the “2007 Best Place to Live in Rural America” by Progressive Farmer Magazine.

In order to continue that legacy, the Kent County Office of Economic Development has
encouraged and supported the use of diverse agricultural products and processes. Our latest
effort in support of a strong agricultural economy was to aggressively promote a significant
expansion in the wine-quality grape growing industry in our county and our region.

The State of Maryland is experiencing an exciting growth in the number of licensed winery
operations throughout the State. This growth in

wineries has created a major demand for Maryland-grown grapes….a demand which far exceeds supply. For that reason, Kent County joined with our two sister counties, Queen Anne’s to the south and Cecil to the north, in creating the beginning of a regional wine trail. The trail will begin in Cecil County at the Maryland/Pennsylvania border then continue south through Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties, and on into the lower Eastern Shore.

We are only in the very beginnings of establishing our regional wine trail, and Kent County is
the newest of the vineyard operations in our region. However we would like to present a
collage of those small operations we currently have. Please enjoy the photos of this work
in process. As more vineyards are planted, and as wineries are located here, we will
continually update this site……thank you for visiting.

As part of our tri-county effort to provide viable agricultural alternatives to landowners, and to increase wine-quality grape production, Kent County became the Program Coordinator for an Upper Shore Regional Council Vineyard Management Company Feasibility Project. The Upper Shore Regional Council (USRC) is the umbrella organization which coordinates regional efforts between Queen Anne’s, Kent, and Cecil Counties.

The USRC contracted with Mr. Stephen D. Mudd, a nationally-recognized vineyard consultant from Long Island, New York, to analyze the potential for the establishment of a Vineyard Management Company (VMC), and accompanying increase in vineyards in the USRC area. A VMC is a company which establishes, operates, and/or consults for owners of new or existing vineyards. A VMC’s services could be as extensive as the complete establishment and operation of a vineyard for an individual who has the land, the financial resources, and the interests in grape growing, but not the inclination or interest to do the work themselves. It could also involve offering only consulting services to an established vineyard. It could also offer selected services to those owners who wish to do some of the work themselves. A VMC offers a cafeteria-style menu of services that the owner picks and chooses to fit their needs, and provides these services without the need for a land owner to have a substantial personal investment in machinery and equipment.

Mr. Mudd has completed his consulting assignment and has created a set of financial projections for anyone who is interested in establishing a new vineyard, or expanding an existing vineyard, by utilizing the services of a VMC. The projections are available in an Excel format by clicking on the site below, and will provide interested parties with a tool to analyze the costs they might expect in establishing a vineyard, using a VMC.

The Kent County Economic Development Office also has available financial projections for anyone with a viticulture background who may be interested in establishing a VMC. Please call Augustine Cook at 410.778.5188 to arrange for receipt of that data.

Prospective Vineyard Owner's Welcome Information

Prospective Vineyard Owner's Workbook
(To download Excel Workbook, right click on the link above, then
choose "Save Target As" and place the workbook on your computer.)