St. Mary’s launches ‘AgriCoast’ brand to help local farms, seafood and producers market county-grown products

Sydney Garner, the county’s new ag and seafood division manager, described the AgriCoast brand and a phased rollout intended to increase local-procurement, direct-to-consumer awareness and wholesale opportunities for St. Mary’s producers. Garner said the brand — created with input from local stakeholders and designed by Arnett Muldrow — will support producers, restaurants and retailers who sell locally grown or produced goods. The first phase focuses on getting producers and local sellers to register and use the brand on packaging, menus and at point-of-sale; a later phase will include a consumer-facing website, social media and educational material to explain what the AgriCoast label means. Commission members discussed using a simple label or sticker on food and menus to help shoppers and diners identify county-produced items; Garner said the brand is intended for use on packaging, in restaurants and at farmers markets and that producers have responded positively in early outreach. Garner outlined goals for AgriCoast including local procurement by institutions, wholesale marketing to retailers and restaurants, and consumer education about the provenance of seafood and agricultural products. The department intends to coordinate with Visit St. Mary’s and other partners to amplify the brand and facilitate market connections. No formal county action was taken at the commission meeting on the brand itself; staff described the launch and solicited commission support for outreach and producer recruitment.