HUGHESVILLE, Md. – The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC) is pleased to announce the 8th Round of the Southern Maryland Farmer Mini-Grant Program.
SMADC will begin accepting Mini-Grant applications on July 15, 2021. The Mini-Grant closes on September 1, 2021, with awards announced by October 15, 2021.
The Mini-Grant program aligns with SMADC’s mission ‘to support farms and the future of agriculture in Southern Maryland and is designed to assist new and beginning farmers who own or lease existing agricultural properties with small start-up projects, and to assist experienced farmers who are looking to diversify or expand a current agriculture project. The projects should be simple in scope and must be successfully completed within one year.
SMADC awards will be up to $2,000 per applicant and is a one-to-one match by the farmer. A total of $40,000 in funding is available. However, it is anticipated that the number of applicants may exceed the amount of funding available, therefore grant applications will be ranked and awards may be less than the requested amount.
Grant funds may be used for equipment/services that help transition a farm’s sales strategy (such as online sales, home delivery, on-farm sales, etc.), for other projects that allow the farm business to maintain and/or expand sales, for the purchase of foundation livestock, purchase of plant stock, marketing and promotion of current farm operation, new fencing, hoop house, and materials needed for value-added food production and on-farm upgrades to enhance food safety.
“The Mini-Grant program has become very popular with Southern Maryland farmers, and has awarded $157,007 to 101 farm projects over the previous seven rounds”, says SMADC Director, Shelby Watson-Hampton. “The farmers we work with are innovative, creative, and passionate, and we look forward to seeing what new and creative project ideas come through in the applications for this next round.”
For complete details of the SMADC Southern Maryland Farmer Mini-Grant Program, including Round 8 criteria, Grant guidelines, and to access the online Grant application form, visit ‘Farmer Resources’ to find the ‘Mini-Grants’ page at www.SMADC.com.