SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — When it rains, it pours in Camden County. Its second grape-growing season was so successful that it is looking to expand operations.
Camden County’s Lakeland Vineyard produced about 7,000 pounds of grapes at the 1-acre site in Blackwood.
County Commissioners Director Lou Cappelli was blown away by this year’s results.
“A local winemaker bought the grape,” he said. “They’re making wine with our grapes and we’re very excited to see that this pilot program is successful.”
Wine is a growing industry in the Garden State, and South Jersey is at the center of it all, with optimal soil and climate conditions to produce award-winning varieties. Cappelli said they are looking to expand the county’s wine footprint by finding new, open spaces to farm and by partnering with farmers who want to pivot to grape-growing.
“Even if you’re a farmer and you no longer want to grow the crop you’re growing, converting to grape is an option, and we’re showing farmers that it’s something that can be done and something that can be very rewarding as well,” he added.
“It’s an industry that’s providing jobs, tax revenue, maintaining farmland, so it’s an industry we want to support any way we can.”
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