Harwood Winery Faces Obstacles, Moves Towards Profitability

October was a wet month, as you may have noticed, with about 8 inches of rain falling in the region. 

To many people, this extra rain meant messy commutes, muddy boots and overworked umbrellas. 

To the farmers and owners of Thanksgiving Farm Winery in Harwood, the wet fall meant they lost 40 percent of their grape harvest. 

While this number may sound devastating, you'd never know to talk to owners Doug and Maureen Heimbuch because they remain optimistic about the future of their business.

The couple purchased the 50-acre farm in 1996 and have been making wine since 1998, though initially it was only for home consumption. 

Even now, 15 years later, the operation is a small one. The Heimbuchs have no full-time employees and do most of the work themselves. When they do need help during the growing season, they hire a local landscaping company to assist. 

"That way, we don't have all the tax burden associated with having workers," Doug Heimbuch explained. 

Thanksgiving Farm currently has 9 acres dedicated to growing grape vines, though only 6 of those are planted. The other 3 acres are dedicated to erosion control. They hope to plant 2 more acres in the spring. 

In 2010, they built a 3,000-square-foot tasting room, an expensive venture that took two years and more than $100,000 in permitting fees—an amount of money that was quite cumbersome for such a small business. 

"[The fees] were well into six figures and for a small family-owned and operated business, it was really burdensome," Maureen Heimbuch said.

Things are a bit easier for small agriculture businesses in Anne Arundel County now, according to Lisa Barge, who works in the marketing and development department of the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation. She met with the Heimbuchs last week during Small Business Appreciation Week. 

"I think things are changing for the better since people like you blazed the trail," Barge said to the Heimbuchs.

Legislation recent since the Heimbuchs built their tasting room allows agriculture businesses with a farm plan to skip much of the more burdensome permitting process required by the county. 

In addition to financial burdens, the Heimbuchs also had to battle nature, with deer, raccoons, birds and other critters on the prowl for the farm's harvest. 

They erected a 8-foot fence to keep out the deer, which Doug Heimbuch said is "100 percent effective." They use digitally recorded distress calls that the couple says keep birds off the vines. 

Raccoons and o'possums are tougher, due to the large population and fewer methods of keeping them out of the vineyards.

Even with all these obstacles, Doug and Maureen Heimbuch were able to bottle 500 cases—that's 6,000 bottles—last year. They have six wine varieties—three red blends, a white, a rose and a dessert wine—that are available in liquor stores throughout Edgewater, Davidsonville and other parts of south county and even Montgomery County.

They also have a tasting room that's open 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays, or by appointment. 

For now, Doug and Maureen Heimburch still both have their day jobs, but they hope the winery will be self-sustaining once they retire in the next several years. 

"It's not making a profit yet, but we're getting to that point," Doug Heimbuch said. 

Thanksgiving Farm Winery is located at 195 Harwood Rd. in Harwood. For more information or to schedule a private tasting, call 410-630-1511.