Maryland Meadworks Launches Fundraiser As Honey Prices Soar

Maryland Meadworks has launched a GoFundMe campaign to address the financial strain from surging operational costs.

Located at 4700 Rhode Island Ave., near the skate park, the meadery opened in 2018 amid a national boom in craft brewers of the honey-based drink.

“Unfortunately, sales revenue has not kept up with skyrocketing expenses, and we are losing money,” owners Ken Carter and Rumi Matsuyama wrote in a note to customers. “So we need to make changes and raise funds from our beloved community before we can commit to a lease beyond the end of this year.”

The GoFundMe, which launched five days ago, is designed to stabilize cash flow while the couple explores potential shifts in their business model, including a possible expansion into beer sales.

The fundraiser has already raised $36,000 from 350 donors, enough to sign a lease extension and stay open into 2027, putting them within reach of their goal of raising $45,000 to explore longer-term changes.

The price of honey has risen dramatically, driven by declining domestic yields, the effects of climate change on bee colonies and rising consumer demand for alternatives to sugar. The national average consumer price is up 27% from last year.

Click here to donate to the fundraiser.

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