MARBIDCO 2021 Annual Report Feature
MD Value-Added Producer Grant Fund Recipient: Milburn Orchard Inc.
Milburn Orchards Inc. is a family farm located in Elkton, in Cecil County. It is known for its you-pick produce, apple cider donuts and family-friendly atmosphere. Fifth-generation farmer Stephen Milburn is planning to take apples from the family operation and turn them into a value-added product, hard cider, creating a new business venture.
“We plan to take apples that would have been sold for next to nothing, ferment them into hard cider and we should make a good return,” said Milburn. “We will do the production and sell directly to the consumer.”
In preparation for this project, Milburn applied to MARBIDCO’s Maryland Value-Added Producer Grant – Capital Assets Option (MVAPG-CAO program). It provides grants between $2,500 and $10,000. Applicants apply once per year and grants are awarded on a competitive basis for value added processing capital asset projects.
Milburn applied to the program to help reduce the costs associated with acquiring the necessary equipment to make hard apple cider. Eligible project costs included a chiller and a 500-gallon tank. Other equipment he acquired included two different types of fermenters and mill.
“Working with MARBIDCO was really great. Dan [Sweeney] was our primary contact,” said Milburn. “He was very responsive and guided us through the whole process very well. It felt like I was talking to a friend half the time.”
The farm is in a great location to take advantage of markets from Delaware and Pennsylvania, as well as Maryland. The cidery will be located in close proximity to the farm and Milburn plans to build a structure for production and a tasting room. While Milburn Orchards is a family-friendly operation, Milburn hopes that the new hard cider venture will expand his market by attracting adults.
“Fewer and fewer people have a direct connection to agriculture,” said Milburn. “There is still an American desire to have a connection to farming, and now sometimes the only option is to visit a farm.”
The farm was founded in 1902 and is over 300 acres in size today. It is open from June through December, and features you-pick apples, nectarines, grapes, cherries, raspberries, and blueberries.
The farm has a “backyard” section with activities for kids and families, and you-pick orchards where groups can purchase a container to fill with produce. The farm has 22 full-time employees.
.While the farm used to be diversified, it transitioned to focusing on tree-fruit and wholesale in the 1930s and 1940s. By the 1980s the family realized they needed to diversify again as wholesale markets were challenging for small farms to compete in. They started by offering hayrides, and their old packing house gradually changed into their famer’s market.
“We’ve been adding on, changing, diversifying and growing for a long time,” said Milburn. “We’re always looking for other opportunities for small manufacturing processes. Taking excess fruit and turning it into something people will appreciate.”
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