Alliance Historic Model Vineyard

Following the success of our Alliance Historic Model Farm, we plan to expand the project and grow a kosher organic Model Vineyard on the Levin family's historic farmland in Pittsgrove Township, Salem County, New Jersey, the site of the first Jewish farm community in America. We have partnered with vintner Eli Silins to steward the land for his own kosher winery, Camuna Cellars in nearby Philadelphia.

Together we will produce “vine to bottle” kosher wine from the oldest family-owned Jewish farm in America.

ACRe will host educational community events celebrating Jewish holidays, especially those in which wine and fruit play a special role, including Purim, TuB'Shvat and Passover.

Our farmland property is located in Alliance, part of the greater area of Vineland, New Jersey, so called for its grapevines.

Thomas Welch of Welch’s Grape Juice got his start in Vineland, NJ in 1869.

The Levins’ farmland has been in the family for five generations and is part of the Alliance Colony, the first successful Jewish farm community in America, established by Russian Jewish immigrants in 1882.

ACRe co-founder William Levin’s great great grandfather Moses Bayuk grew grapes on their family farmland in the early 1900s and sold kosher wine in Philadelphia.

A handful of vineyards operate just a few miles from our own property, where the newly dubbed “Outer Coastal Plain” of New Jersey is gaining a reputation for grape growing.

There are very few organic—and no kosher organic—vineyards on the East Coast.

The Levins will provide farmland and infrastructure, and Eli Silins of Camuna Cellars will oversee the creation, stewardship and maintenance of a small scale experimental kosher organic vineyard on the Levins’ historic farmland. They will work with local vineyard management company Vinetech to install and maintain the Alliance Historic Model Vineyard, a project of ACRe.

ACRe will host seasonal holiday events with Eli Silins, introducing their model vineyard to the public with educational tours and wine tasting. ACRe will also publicly share social media and data collected during their organic trials.

Starting with half an acre of choice varietals, we will resort to using as few chemical treatments as possible if 100% organic proves impossible. Prep begins January 2023 and installation in Spring 2023.

After 3-4 years of growing, Eli will harvest and use the grapes for production of his kosher wine at Camuna Cellars.

YEAR 1 startup cost is $18K. This will cover the cost of vine starts and VineTech fees for installation and maintenance, including soil testing and amendments, and trellises on half an acre of farmland.

A generous benefactor has pledged $15K to kickstart the project.

Salem County Historic Re-Grant program has awarded ACRe $7,510 in 2023, a portion of which will support this project.

Funding for this project is a tax-deductible charitable donation to ACRe.

YEAR 2-3 depending on funding and project viability we may expand into the adjacent 5 acres field.

YEAR 4+

• Vines require 3-4 years of growth before they can be harvested, both practically and halachically.

• Silins will utilize most or all of the harvested grapes for Camuna Cellars wine. Any extra can be sold or used for private winemaking.

We can share more specific details about the startup costs and commercial potential of the project upon request. Please contact us by email.

• Grow orchard fruits and berries for other fermented beverages.

• Expand onto adjacent acreage of historic family farmland.

• Restore the Victorian era Moses Bayuk House to function as a winery and tasting room.

• Spin off a commercial vineyard or winery.