Small Farm and Urban Agriculture Program

Maryland's Small Farm and Urban Agriculture Program provides financial assistance to support small-scale agricultural operations located in urban, peri-urban, rural, and suburban areas. It aims to increase community access to healthy foods by helping farmers improve their management of natural resources by adopting Bay-friendly and climate-smart farming practices. The program offers Urban Agriculture Grants to support the growth and development of urban farms and community gardens, Water and Power (infrastructure) Grants for qualifying operations located in urban areas, and Small Acreage Cover Crop Grants in the spring and fall. It is funded by the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund and managed by the department's Conservation Grants Program.

Individuals, organized for-profit agricultural businesses, or non-profit organizations may apply. The operation must produce a farm product that generates a minimum of $1,000 of sales or donations annually, and the farm product must be grown or raised in the state of Maryland. Eligible operations include any agricultural, horticultural, vegetable, or fruit product of the soil (raw or processed); livestock, meats, marine food products, poultry, eggs, or dairy products; equine operations; wool, hides, feathers, or honey; and any product of farm, forest, orchard, garden, or water. The grantee is responsible for all local, state, or federal regulations and permits necessary for the operation.

The program's own landing page publishes no figures; each of its three grant tracks publishes its own ceiling.

Urban Agriculture Grants — "the maximum funder [sic] per application is $10,000." Within that award, two categories are sub-capped: purchase of real property in an urban area is "capped at 20% of the grant award," and operating expenses are "[c]apped at 15% of the grant award." The Maryland General Assembly has approved up to $100,000 in annual funding for this track through Fiscal Year 2029.

Urban Agriculture Water and Power Infrastructure Grants — "The grant provides up to 87.5% of the total project cost," and "[e]ach application has a maximum funding limit of $75,000." Eligible expenses include water meters, water pipes, irrigation hoses, electric meters, electrical lines, or other equipment authorized by the department. The applicant must have controlled the land for at least 5 years, by ownership or lease. Bids are required from authorized contractors for work on public roads, sidewalks, water mains and transformers, and from private contractors for on-site installation. Up to $500,000 in annual funding through Fiscal Year 2027; applications accepted on a rolling basis while funds remain.

Small Acreage Cover Crop Grants — for growers planting less than 10 acres of cover crop: "The maximum payment per grower is $1,500 per year." Growers are reimbursed based on paid receipts.

Common conditions: the operation must produce a farm product generating a minimum of $1,000 of sales or donations annually, the product must be grown or raised in Maryland, and the grantee carries all local, state and federal permitting. Farms required to have a Nutrient Management Plan must submit a current certification form with the application. No match is required beyond the cost-share percentage on the Water and Power track.

Apply through the program's specific grant tracks: Urban Agriculture Grants, Water and Power Grants, and the Small Acreage Cover Crop Program. Contact Program Administrator Bill Tharpe at 410-841-5869 or bill.tharpe@maryland.gov, Maryland Department of Agriculture, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401.