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Frederick County has a vibrant and thriving agriculture community, and that sense of community was certainly evident this month. The annual Great Frederick Fair was held the third week of September, bringing with it all the magic of a classic county fair. Our Homegrown Frederick team had a productive week with educational exhibits, farm spotlights, award presentations and connecting with farmers in the County. Frederick County Office of Economic Development (FCOED) also supported the Homegrown Wineries, Breweries & Distilleries Showcase building, which allowed fairgoers to sample a large variety of the craft beverages manufactured right here in Frederick County. We were thrilled to have 17 local craft beverage makers participate in this year’s showcase.
Our commitment to the agriculture industry doesn’t end when the fair does - in October, we will facilitate the next round of Agricultural Innovation Grants. These grants help Frederick County producers expand or diversify their business operations. I encourage you to learn more about this grant opportunity and apply. Applications open on October 1, 2023.
We also will be working to grow the agriculture community by having our Homegrown team attend industry related trade shows to bring back potential opportunities to grow and expand the community. In addition, I participated on a panel at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) conference, bringing global awareness to Frederick County. Speaking of global awareness, we are excited to welcome our new intern, Jordan Heyrend! Jordan is a Global Studies student at Hood College. She will be supporting our team by researching and developing a business case, working with our customer relationship management database, and developing awareness to expand Frederick County’s international companies and exports.
Last but certainly not least, the FCOED team is counting down the days until the best week of the year, Business Appreciation Week! I look forward to visiting businesses throughout Frederick County the week of October 16-20, along with our economic development partners and elected officials. Make sure to follow FCOED on Facebook to follow along with the photos from our BAW visits!
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