Janna Howley

May 6, 2021
Kevin McManus
WFMD

14 farms in Frederick County have been awarded Agriculture Innovation Grants.

County Executive Jan Gardner said the goal of these grants, totaling $306,000 dollars is to encourage diversification, and new and innovative ways to keep local agriculture prospering.

During her public information briefing on Thursday, Gardner said one of the grant recipients is Moon Valley Farms of Woodsboro, which grows produce.

“They will use their grant towards the purchase of a permanent, in-ground irrigation system and well, which will help to increase production,” Gardner said. “The farm expects to create four new full-time positions and three part-time positions as a result of the growth in productivity.”

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Maryland wineries are seeking high-quality Maryland-grown fruit, but it’s in short supply. Growers have struggled to stay afloat, often unable to reach an economy of scale.

It’s time to expand Maryland’s viticultural base in a financially sustainable fashion.

Available online, this 9-lesson course by viticulturist Joyce Rigby will guide participants through the vineyard startup and expansion process from a professional perspective—and with financial modeling in mind.

Viticulture Consultant Joyce Rigby Releases Vini-fi Financial Outlook Tool via Online Course

Lessons include:

• What the Maryland Wine Industry Wants & Needs
• Introduction to Growing Wine Grapes
• Site Evaluation
• Site Design
• Implementation
• Canopy Management
• Diseases
• Equipment
• Commercial Vineyard Business – Intro to Vini-fi Tool

Commercial Vineyard Expansion Course

CERTIFICATE AVAILABLE
Those enrolling in MWA’s Commercial Vineyard Expansion (CVE) online course earn a certificate of completion.

The development of this program was funded by a grant from the Maryland Grape & Wine Promotion Fund through the Governor’s Commission on Maryland Wine & Grape Growing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DARUMA TECH TO CREATE MOBILE APP PROMOTING MARYLAND’S AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS INCLUDING DISTILLERIES, WINERIES, BREWERIES

Maryland’s Cultivate & Craft’s paper-based trail program will evolve into a digital passport to connect with locals and tourists.

BOCA RATON, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, December 17, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — Maryland’s residents and visitors will soon be able to explore the state’s growing number of craft breweries, wineries, and distilleries right from their phones, thanks to a powerful new mobile app being developed for Cultivate & Craft, a firm representing Maryland’s value-added agricultural producers, startups, and growers. The app will be built by Boca Raton, FLA-based software developers Daruma Tech.

With the app, users will be able to map their own tours of Maryland’s wineries, distilleries, or breweries, learn about their offerings, and earn points and rewards from checking in on the app at participating businesses. They will also be able to learn the latest news about Maryland’s craft beverage industry and find the craft beverage producers nearest to them.

The app was a natural evolution of Cultivate & Craft’s successful paper-based trail program. “For the past five years, Cultivate & Craft has been producing a printed map that was given out at visitor centers throughout the state,” explained Jim Bauckman, Cultivate & Craft’s communications director. “Our maps included all member wineries, distilleries, and breweries that hosted guests, but we ran out of space when we hit 200 listings,” said Bauckman. With a smartphone in the pocket of most fans, the firm questioned expending resources annually for something that’s out of date the minute it’s printed.

The need to provide current information and build public awareness of the state’s craft beverage offerings in real time has also become more critical in light of the fast-changing nature of the industry, Bauckman said. “The laws have evolved briskly in Maryland just as customer interests have evolved, and this will be a great tool for us to invite guests for a flight of beer or wine, or a freshly mixed cocktail.”

In addition, Bauckman said, the app will support both businesses and consumers navigating the challenges of COVID-19. “It gives us the flexibility and freedom to showcase our members and highlight those that have the capacity to conduct business safely during this weird time,” he said. “We have lots of open space and outdoor experiences for consumers to make safe visits to their favorite manufacturers throughout the state.”

Daruma Tech’s expertise and strong reputation creating apps for the craft beverage and hospitality industries made them a natural choice to build Cultivate & Craft’s app, Bauckman said. “Daruma Tech came highly recommended to build a truly impactful experience for the consumer and the included businesses.”

Bauckman added that Daruma Tech’s track record of success in supporting its clients’ marketing efforts was another major selling point. “We need to know there’s someone behind this app with the motivation to get people to use it,” he said. “I’m expecting that we’ll get very good guidance about how we can position this app to our consumers and encourage them to download it, and they have a toolkit that has been built on the feedback that they’ve earned from all their other projects—that’s going to help us.”

The team at Daruma Tech is ready and eager to help Cultivate & Craft connect Maryland’s craft beverage producers and consumers. “We have a lot of experience in this space and have spent a lot of time listening to different craft beverage associations and customers about what works and what doesn’t,” said Rick Griswold of Daruma Tech. “And we’re looking forward to sharing this knowledge with Cultivate & Craft and all of Maryland’s member producers.”

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To learn more about the state’s craft beverage industries, please visit the following links:

• Brewers Association of Maryland

• Maryland Distillers Guild

• Maryland Wineries Association

We’ve developed a page for members of our craft beverage industry, including the latest news, state and federal resources related to COVID-19. READ MORE.

Kelly Dudeck has been appointed to the Maryland Agriculture Commission to represent the agritourism industry. Dudeck is chief strategy officer at Cultivate & Craft, and has deep agricultural, preservation and economic development experience.

Agritourism is one of the fastest growing, most innovative, and most creative industries in agriculture today. It encompasses diverse activities, from pick-your-owns farms to on-farm tasting rooms.

About Kelly Dudeck
Dudeck has spent over a decade working in either agricultural policy, land preservation or local food systems. She was Howard County’s first Food Policy Director, making huge strides from food and farmers. Before that, she was the Executive Director of the Maryland Agricultural Resource Council and prior to that Dudeck served as Director of Rural Lands at 1000 Friends of Maryland, where she administered the Keep Farmers Farming campaign, as well as the Partners for Open Space coalition. She has also worked for the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Baltimore County’s Agricultural Land Preservation Program. In addition to serving on the Rural Legacy Advisory Board, the Partners for Open Space Executive Committee, and the Maryland Food Policy Blueprint Advisory Committee, Kelly is also a LEAD Class VII alumni.

And now for a positive tax-related story: the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation has updated its policy to consider commercial apiaries as agriculture, allowing commercial beekeepers’ land to earn an agricultural assessment.

Beekeeping is not only of vital benefit to agricultural production via pollination, but is it an incredible segment of agriculture in its own right. From apiaries can come many farm-based products, from honey to mead (delicious and historic honey-based wine).

A big thanks to the Montgomery County Office of Agricultural Services, Agricultural Land Preservation Program, the Maryland Department of Agriculture and, of course, the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation for supporting this advancement.

For many farmers, producing crops or meat comes more naturally than selling their wares.

But for direct-marketing farmers, interpersonal and even artistic skills can be keys to success. Over 150 people came from around Maryland to the first Southern Maryland Agricultural Marketing Conference on Nov. 15 at the College of Southern Maryland Prince Frederick Campus.

“The conference’s focus on marketing brought incredible knowledge and value to the industry,” said Kevin Atticks, founder of local agritourism and value-added consulting firm Cultivate & Craft.

[Read more in Lancaster Farming]

The Spotted Lanterfly has been detected in Maryland and it’s up to the agricultural community to identify, report and help manage the threat it imposes on grapes, hops and a variety of specialty crops. Learn more on our webinar.

Free: Register!

Cultivate & Craft is hiring interns! We aim to cultivate an environment where value-added agricultural producers, operators and growers innovate and thrive. Our clients include the Maryland Wineries Association, Brewers Association of Maryland, Maryland Distillers Guild, Maryland Industrial Hemp Coalition, as well as and other value-added agricultural producers. We offer internships to students who are currently enrolled in college, and able to receive credit for the internship.

See details:

• Communications Internship
• Hospitality/Events Internship
• Government Affairs Internship
• Podcasting Internship