What to do

Our economy is in trouble. The County wine sector has been the engine of investment, job creation, and economic vitality for the past 25 years. But today the sector is in crisis. The founders are aging out. Potential bidders are put off by rules that squelch expansion or opportunities to diversify. Those who persist face financing challenges in a cloudy economic climate in Canada.

We are at risk of erasing decades of investment, branding and market growth and with it will go the beating heart of the local economy. The wine sector forms an irreplaceable foundation for the food and accommodation businesses in Prince Edward County. It is also the foundation for other businesses—some agribusinesses, some not. Metal bending. Tires. Fertilizer. Legal. Accounting. Plumbing. Heating. Excavating. Marketing. Advertising.

Prince Edward County is widely recognized as an economic marvel, due largely to the development of the wine sector and its offshoots. The County economy is admired and emulated around the world. It is, however, facing tough days.

Karen Palmer is ringing the bell as loudly as she can. Palmer is the County’s economic development officer. She is clinging mightily to the rope in the bell tower, anxiously warning the countryside of the brewing storm. (See story here.)

Winery, cidery and distillery investors are looking for an exit. But few buyers are stepping up. Vines will be maintained for a while. But not forever. The bell is clanging.

There are no easy fixes. A press release or municipal decree won’t mend decades of neglect from successive terms of council. A sudden recognition of the critical importance of the winery sector won’t turn back the clock. Nor will it ease the general economic anxiety that has left lenders and investors sitting on the sidelines.

But it might be a start. We can buy local. Gift-giving season is near; perhaps we may share more generously with our extended families the unique wine produced in Prince Edward County. The lush and flavourful ciders. Spirits made from County ingredients. Consider taking the weekend to wander the countryside. Perhaps discover a winemaker you’ve never experienced before. Before they are gone.

On the policy front, Shire Hall can step up to facilitate and manage data gathering from these sectors. It can serve as a keeper and recorder of the industry’s basic metrics. The sector is fragmented and focused on the tasks at hand. It could use a hand. And a nudge.

It is mistrustful of government. Understandably so. The smallest of producers must wade through endless mounds of regulation imposed by every level of government. It must pay taxes at every turn—from the field, to the grape, to the bottle. But these entrepreneurs also understand that a clearer picture of the County’s industry will provide information they can use to grow their businesses.

More work needs to be done on reforming land planning rules. Current rules are too restrictive and thwart expansion opportunities. More can be done to emulate other wine-growing regions, particularly around ancillary farm activities.

In the Tuscany region of Italy, wine growers are permitted to construct and operate a 14-room inn on their property—by right. By right, meaning that they don’t need planning department approval to do so.

Italy is a highly regulated place. It has a lot of history and tradition to protect. But the Tuscan officials have concluded that the trade-offs are reasonable and vital to the region’s success. Investment flows in. Jobs are created. A rural economy thrives.

During last week’s discussion, one council member described winemakers as visionaries. It wasn’t a compliment. It wasn’t an insult either. For this council member, the traditional farmer is more practical— more down to earth.

Like all generalizations, categorizing how folks think is a risky and flawed analysis.

But it seems to me that there is something of the visionary in all farming. Surely any lingering sense of fantasy is driven deep by the sheer hard work and heartache of the business. But it takes a lot of hopefulness, a lot of blind determination, and, frankly, dreaming to produce things from the soil.

We should all be so visionary. Visit a winery, a cidery or a spirit maker this weekend.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca