When most of us look at an orchid, we see its delicate beauty. The professionals at the Rural Development Center (RDC) at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore have a different vision. They see potential for economic development. They see a product that can become the foundation for a network of growers.

UMES has formed partnerships with Jet Green Group, of Beijing, China and its Maryland incorporated subsidiary US Orchid Laboratory & Nursery, Inc. to research, propagate and market orchids. The University’s 2.5 acre hydroponic greenhouse facility will become US Orchid’s East Coast headquarters.

The program is modeled on the University’s successful five-year Farmers Access to Regional Markets (FARMS) venture with Bell Nursery in Burtonsville, MD. While that partnership brought economic opportunity to 22 Mid-Shore greenhouse network growers, the orchid network will target growers on the Lower Shore. The partnership, which combines the agricultural and marketing know-how of UMES and the Rural Development Center with a product that is rapidly growing in popularity, further showcases the University’s leadership in regional economic development. Public response has been enthusiastic.

The Mid-Atlantic Grower featured the orchid operation on its front page this summer. Other publications to pick up the story include such magazines as FloraCulture International, Grower Talks, Black Issues in Higher Education, Miami Herald, Richmond Times Dispatch and Southern Living. A two-minute streaming video is on the national USDA website.