Upper Shore Regional Council

What Upper Shore Regional Council does

The Upper Shore Regional Council (USRC) is a non-profit regional planning and development agency serving Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's counties in Maryland. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Chestertown, MD, the council operates with a staff of approximately 5 employees and functions as a coordination body for federal, state, county, and local governments in the region. Its mission is to foster physical, economic, and social development of the Upper Shore region by providing a regional forum for identifying issues and opportunities and by leading the planning and implementation of programs to improve quality of life.

USRC's core offerings include regional planning coordination and two distinct digital products. The Upper Shore Harvest Directory, launched in partnership with Washington College's GIS Lab, is an online directory and iOS mobile app cataloging over 1,200 farms and agribusinesses across the tri-county region, encompassing more than 350,000 acres and generating over $202 million in farm sales. The Chesapeake Wine Country website promotes the Chesapeake Wine Trail and surrounding Eastern Shore businesses. The council also produces podcasts, maintains a blog, and conducts community events including Youth Town Halls and social media workshops.

USRC's revenue model is government-based, relying on member county contributions, state grants, and federal funding rather than commercial pricing. Specific revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The organization's customer base consists of local governments (primary), regional farms and agribusinesses (via the Harvest Directory platform), and regional consumers seeking local agricultural products. The council distributes Harvest Directory print copies through Visitors' Centers, Chambers of Commerce, and County Economic Development offices across the region.

Name

Upper Shore Regional Council

Legal name

Upper Shore Regional Council of Maryland

Website

https://uppershoreregionalcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Upper Shore Regional Council is a non-profit regional planning and development agency coordinating economic development, agricultural promotion, and regional planning across Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's counties in Maryland, serving local governments, farms, and consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Planning and Development Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

State Legislature/Regional Assembly Administration (BPAIABAB)

Keywords

• Regional planning services
• Economic development coordination
• Agricultural directory
• Local government support
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Chestertown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Regional Development Services: The council operates as a regional planning and development agency providing coordination services for Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's counties. It initiates and coordinates plans and projects for human and economic resource development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Upper Shore Regional Council is a regional planning and development agency that fosters the physical, economic, and social development of Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's counties in Maryland. It provides a regional forum for federal, state, county, and local governments to identify issues and opportunities, and coordinates plans and projects for human and economic resource development. It also maintains the Upper Shore Harvest Directory (an online and mobile platform showcasing 1,200+ local farms and agribusinesses) and the Chesapeake Wine Country promotional site.

Product overview

Upper Shore Regional Council is a regional planning and development agency that operates several interconnected programs and platforms. The core offering is the council's regional planning and coordination services for Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's counties. Key digital products include the Upper Shore Harvest Directory, a comprehensive listing of local farms and agribusinesses with an associated mobile app, and Chesapeake Wine Country, a tourism promotion site for the region's wineries. The council also produces podcasts and provides business resources to support local economic development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Upper Shore Harvest Directory: A directory showcasing local farms and agribusinesses in Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's Counties, Maryland
• Chesapeake Wine Country
• Shore Vines & Vines

Products and services

• Upper Shore Regional Council Regional Planning and Coordination Services Regional planning, coordination, and development services for federal, state, county, and local governments in Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's counties, Maryland. Includes convening forums, developing regional plans and needs assessments, and coordinating programs to improve quality of life.
• Upper Shore Harvest Directory Online directory maintained in partnership with Washington College to showcase local farms and agribusinesses in Kent, Cecil, and Queen Anne's Counties, including farmer's markets, bakeries, stables, charter services, vineyards, and more. Connects consumers with local agricultural products and services across the tri-county region.
• Harvest Directory Mobile App iOS mobile application providing access to the Upper Shore Harvest Directory on smartphones, allowing consumers to browse local farms and agribusinesses on mobile platforms.
• Chesapeake Wine Country Promotional website launched by USRC to promote the Chesapeake Wine Trail and surrounding businesses (vineyards and related agribusinesses) on the Eastern Shore.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200 farms preserving the land and rural character of the region
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Washington CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington College's GIS Lab partners with the Upper Shore Regional Council to maintain the Upper Shore Harvest Directory, providing technical infrastructure for the mapping and directory services. This partnership enables the creation of accurate and detailed directory listings of local businesses working with local products in the tri-county region.
• Rural Maryland CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rural Maryland Council sponsors Youth Town Halls in Kent, Cecil, and Queen Anne's Counties alongside the Upper Shore Regional Council, demonstrating a collaborative approach to regional youth engagement and development initiatives.
• Regional Councils (Maryland)OthersThe USRC is part of a network of regional councils in Maryland, coordinating economic development efforts across the state.
• Economic Development OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as economic development partners in the regional network, working to foster economic growth across Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's counties.
• Chambers of CommerceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChambers of Commerce in the tri-county region serve as distribution points for Harvest Directory print materials and collaborate on regional economic development initiatives.
• State Partners (Maryland)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMaryland state agencies and organizations listed as partners supporting regional development initiatives.
• Federal PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFederal agencies and programs supporting regional development in the Upper Shore area.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Maryland Department of Agriculture: State agency overseeing Maryland's agricultural sector. Comparable as a larger institutional body supporting the same 1,200+ farm/agribusiness ecosystem that USRC's Harvest Directory serves.
• Rural Maryland Council: State-level rural development organization that already partners with USRC on Youth Town Halls. Operates at a broader geographic scale across rural Maryland, offering overlapping economic development and advocacy functions.
• American Farmland Trust: National nonprofit focused on farmland preservation and agricultural viability. Comparable as an advocacy organization aligned with USRC's mission of preserving the region's agricultural land and rural character.
• Maryland Agricultural & Resource-Based Industry Development Corp (MARBIDCO): State economic development corporation supporting agricultural and resource-based industries in Maryland. Comparable as a regional economic development actor targeting the same farm/agribusiness base USRC serves.

Direct peers

• Mid-Shore Regional Council: Sister regional council serving Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties in Maryland. Directly comparable as another designated regional planning and development agency operating under Maryland's regional council framework with similar coordination mandate.
• LocalHarvest: National online directory connecting consumers with local farms, CSAs, and farmers markets. Directly comparable to USRC's Harvest Directory at national scale, offering a private-sector benchmark for the directory business model.
• Tri-County Council for Western Maryland: Another Maryland regional council serving Allegany, Garrett, and Washington counties. Comparable as a state-designated regional planning body with similar mandate to coordinate economic development across county boundaries.
• Queen Anne's County Office of Economic Development: County-level economic development office within USRC's territory. Comparable as a public-sector economic development counterpart that USRC coordinates with and whose mission overlaps with USRC's tri-county remit.

Emerging players

• Maryland Wine Association: Industry association promoting Maryland wineries. Comparable as a niche promotion and advocacy body supporting the same Chesapeake Wine Trail and vineyard ecosystem USRC promotes via Chesapeake Wine Country.

Regional players

• Cecil County Tourism: County-level tourism promotion entity within USRC's region. Comparable as a public-sector tourism marketing body overlapping with USRC's agritourism and Chesapeake Wine Trail promotion efforts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upper-shore-regional-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Upper Shore Regional Council