Maryland Healthy Soils Grants of Up to $50,000 Open to Farmers Nov. 2

ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND — Maryland farmers can apply starting Monday, Nov. 2, for state Healthy Soils grants of up to $50,000, and this year's round adds money for planting trees and shrubs on working farms.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture said its Healthy Soils Competitive Grant Fund will take applications through 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2027. The grants pay for practices that disturb the soil as little as possible while keeping it covered, building biodiversity and keeping living roots in the ground over three years.

The fund has backed 71 projects across the state since 2023, according to the department. Past projects have included cover cropping paired with alternative inputs to cut synthetic chemical use, reduced-tillage equipment and field trials for vegetable growers, and on-farm improvements such as upgraded composting systems.

For the coming cycle, a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expands funding for five agroforestry practices: alley cropping, hedgerow planting, windbreak and shelterbelt establishment, silvopasture, and tree and shrub establishment.

"Maryland farmers understand that caring for the soil is an investment in the future of their land," Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks said in the release.

The grants are open to all Maryland farmers, farmer collectives and agricultural organizations, with no minimum or maximum acreage. Recipients get 30% of their award up front, with the rest paid each year after the department verifies progress. Money can go toward conservation practices, equipment, labor, research and administrative costs needed to meet project goals. Applicants must show they comply with Maryland's Nutrient Management Program.

The department said winners will be notified by May 31, 2027. Questions go to fund administrator Nick Miller at (410) 980-2350.