Camden County-owned vineyard producing record number of grapes
BLACKWOOD, NJ (CBS) -- A South Jersey vineyard announced Tuesday it produced a record number of grapes this year to sell to wineries. The vineyard is owned by Camden County's government.
County commissioners voted in 2019 to start a vineyard to support South Jersey's growing wine industry.
This year's crop harvested more than 7,000 pounds of grapes, a 400% spike from the previous year.
A South Jersey vineyard announced it produced a record amount of grapes…and it’s owned by Camden County’s government. Today @CBSPhiladelphia, why the county plunged into the winemaking industry. pic.twitter.com/koxWjY13Zk
— Brandon Goldner (@GoldnerTV) October 11, 2022
"It's good for everyone," Camden County Commission Deputy Director Ed McDonnell said. "[The wineries] become tax-paying entities, and they provide a great service for residents of Camden County."
Bridie Poerner, who's interning in the county's master gardener program, said growing grapes locally is a more environmentally friendly approach to making wine.
"I think it can teach people that if you start local and go up, it's basically small approaches to making the environment a better place for the Garden State," Poerner said.
Camden County College is also launching a certificate program to prepare students for jobs in the wine-making industry.