Shelton Delegation Applauds Agriculture Grant for Local Winery

Hartford - Senator Kevin Kelly (R-21) and Representatives Jason Perillo (R-113) and Larry Miller (R-122) applaud the Department of Agriculture for awarding Jones Family Farms Winery in Shelton a grant through the Agriculture Viability Grants Program.

“I want to congratulate the Jones family on their incredible efforts to keep local farm production thriving in Shelton,” said Sen. Kelly. “This grant is well deserved and I look forward to watching the farm grow and take on new projects.”

The Shelton winery will use the $25,000 grant to help fund an expansion of their wine-production facility. The expansion is estimated to cost $203,365 and will enable the winery to significantly increase production.

“The Jones Family Farms Winery is a perfect example of the growing agri-tourism industry that is making a mark across the state and in Shelton,” said Rep. Perillo.  “They are a great family business. I congratulate them on this grant and look forward to continued agricultural projects by their family and others throughout Shelton in the years ahead.”

“My congratulations go to the Jones Family Farm,” said Rep. Miller.  “They are one of the finest examples of a family-owned and operated agricultural business in our area, and I am excited to see the expansion they are enabled to achieve through the use of this grant.”

“I want to thank the state of Connecticut for investing in our farm and winery,” said Jamie Jones, a sixth generation farmer in the Jones family. “This year the winery is 10 years old. We’ve grown steadily since our start and have reached the point that we need to make a greater quantity and variety of wine. We will be using this grant to help us increase our number of tanks and production capability.”

Jones Winery is one of over 40 organizations, including farms, agricultural non-profits and municipalities, that received state funding last week totaling $880,327 as part of a state-wide effort to grow Connecticut’s agricultural economy.

Funding was made available through the Agriculture Department’s Farm Transition Grant and Farm Viability Grant programs, designed to increase farm production, promote Connecticut Grown products and create jobs. The funding, which requires a match from the grantee, will leverage nearly $2.4 million in investments throughout the state.

“The Jones family has provided amazing Connecticut-grown produce to the Shelton community for generations. This farm and winery represent our local history as well as the future of agriculture in Connecticut,” said Sen. Kelly.

The Jones farm began in 1848 with Philip James Jones, a Welsh-Irish immigrant. The farm expanded and the vineyard was added in 1999 at the Pumpkinseed Hill location by Jamie Jones. They bottled and sold their first wine in 2004. For more information, please visit: www.jonesfamilyfarms.com/winery.