Wineries' could mean windfall for local farmers
Gazette.net
Brandywine farmer Gordon Gemeny began planting grapes on his 200-acre farm three years ago, following a state buyout of his tobacco crop. The tiny fruit flourishes in southern Maryland soil, he said, and can generate three times the profit of tobacco leaves.
But the real money, he realized, lay in transforming those grapes into wine. This created a problem for Gemeny and other farmers in Prince George's County, one of four counties left in the state that doesn't allow wineries.
On Tuesday, the Prince George's County Council took steps to change that, introducing a bill that would alter the zoning code to allow wineries and another ordinance encouraging other types of agritourism, like bed and breakfasts. A public hearing, to be followed by a vote, is scheduled for Nov. 17.
Farmers and residents in surrounding communities have expressed support for the measures, viewing wineries as a way to keep farms profitable and stave off development. Both bills include limits on the size of tourist enterprises to prevent floods of people crowding back roads and altering the character of the rural tier.
"You have to give the landowners something profitable to do with their land," said County Councilman Thomas Dernoga (D-Dist. 1) of Laurel, who introduced both measures. "A lot of counties around the region are taking advantage of agritourism — this county is 20 years behind."
Wineries were never banned, but there was no law permitting them, either, Dernoga said. The bill allows for wineries in residential areas zoned for agriculture. Farmers can produce wine for personal consumption or to sell at licensed liquor stores.
If the bill passes, Gemeny said the next step is to convince state lawmakers to change liquor laws to allow farmers to sell the wine they produce on-site. Previous attempts to change the law in the last two years failed on technicalities, Dernoga said, but he and other county officials plan to push again this spring.
Legislative hurdles aside, wineries and vineyards also carry high startup costs, said Baden farmer Joseph Romano. He and wife Jo-Ann — who maintain their 7.5-acre farm part-time — planted grapes on two acres three years ago, but have struggled to turn a crop due to bad weather. Still, they hope to move ahead with plans for a small winery soon.
"Two acres of grapes can make a lot of wine," he said. "But if you just do it as a crop, it's not as profitable."
There are 39 licensed wineries in Maryland, according to Kevin Atticks, executive director of the Maryland Wineries Association, which promotes the interest of local vineyards and wineries.
"There are still a great many blocks of farmland that are under great pressure to develop," he said. "We're trying to offer [vineyards and wineries] as an alternative to development."
Atticks points to Calvert County, which voted to allow wineries in May, as a recent success story.
"It was a piece of our puzzle to save our farmland," said James Shepherd, a business development specialist with the county's Department of Economic Development. Winery visitors are also "buying dinners here and staying in our hotels," he said.
The measures have also found support among local residents.
"The best preservation and the cheapest preservation is a profitable farm," said Yates Clagett, who lives in Baden and is the land preservation coordinator for the county.
Joyce Dowling, a Brandywine resident and community activist, said anything that helps visitors understand the importance of the rural tier is "a good thing."
Dowling, a self-professed fan of white wine, added that she and her husband — a red wine drinker — like to support local businesses.
"Someone in the family would drink whatever they produce," she said.
