Maryland Value Added Producer Grant - Capital Assets Option (MVAPG-CAO)

Once per year, MARBIDCO offers grants of between $2,500 and $10,000 distributed on a competitive basis for value added processing capital asset projects. Eligible applicants must be a crop or livestock producer or processor, agricultural cooperative, seafood processor, or primary or secondary timber products processor, and have been in business for a minimum of two years. In addition, applicants must be making a product that is “value added.”

Maryland Value Added Producer Grant – Capital Assets Option (MVAPG–CAO) program is designed to encourage farms and other rural businesses wanting to expand or diversify their operations through value added processing to purchase equipment or construct facilities.

Eligible applicants must be a crop or livestock producer or processor, agricultural cooperative, seafood processor, or primary or secondary timber products processor, and have been in business for a minimum of two years.

In addition, applicants must be making a product that is “value added.” A product that is value added has in incremental value realized by the producer as a result of:

1. Change in physical state;

2. Differentiated production or marketing;

3. Product segregation; or

4. Economic benefit realized from the production of farm- or ranch-based renewable energy.

Eligible Expenses:

Eligible expenses are capital assets which will help farmers, forest product operations and seafood processors to expand or diversify their business operations. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Production buildings and major fixtures

• Livestock or seafood processing facilities

• Fruit, vegetable or timber processing facilities

• Creamery production equipment

• Manure digesters

• Optimization systems for maximizing fiber yield recovery

• Dry kilns, shavings mills, sawdust dryers and in-woods chippers

Ineligible expenses are those not specifically stated under eligible expenses, such as, but not limited to, the following:

• Any expense incurred prior to Thursday, September 26, 2019.

• Tractors, combines, sprayers or similar common farm implements and attachments thereto

• Any self-propelled vehicles (except certain vehicles used in timber processing)

• Property acquisition costs

• Mortgage refinancing

• Cost of borrowing (e.g., points and other fees)

• Site plan and construction permits

• Wages paid to applicant or employees, or applicant or employee training costs

• Solar or wind energy projects

• Furnishings, fixtures or equipment considered personal (non-business) property

• Machine storage, ancillary workshops, housing, classrooms, etc.

• Any portion of expense for which the applicant pays a contractor in merchandise or service in lieu of cash

• Attorney’s fees and consultants’ fees

• Fees and/or costs not consistent with eligible costs

• 2021 Application and Information