Hoyer Announces $121,445 in Grant Funding for Maryland Agricultural Marketing Projects

WASHINGTON, DC –  Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced two awards for Maryland totaling $121,445, to support agricultural market research and demonstration projects. These grants were part of $1.3 million in 22 matching grants awarded to 18 states to explore new and innovative approaches to marketing U.S. food and agricultural products and to improve the efficiency and performance of the marketing system.

"Farming has been a way of life in Maryland for generations and it is our collective interest to ensure that this continues to be the case," stated Congressman Steny Hoyer. "By encouraging Maryland health care facilities and institutions to use Maryland locally-produced goods and by expanding our state's farmers markets, we make critical investments that not only support the local economy and provide access to nutritious food, but preserve our rural heritage and way of life."

These grants, awarded through USDA's Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP), focus on developing agricultural marketing strategies for an array of projects including eight local/regional food projects, two bio-energy projects, a farm-to-school project and a food safety for direct marketers project. FSMIP funds a wide range of applied research projects that address barriers, challenges, and opportunities in marketing, transporting, and distributing U.S. food and agricultural products domestically and internationally.

As part of the FSMIP, USDA awarded the following grants to Maryland:

·         $20,825 to the Maryland Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the University of Maryland and Maryland farmers market managers, to assess the economic impact of Maryland farmers markets, identify ways to expand the customer base and increase sales at farmers markets, and explore the feasibility of forming a statewide farmers market association.

·         $100,620 to the University of Maryland School of Nursing, in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Future Harvest/Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, the Maryland Organic Food and Farming Association, and others, to encourage increased use of locally-produced sustainable protein foods such as beef, pork, poultry, dairy, eggs, and seafood, in Maryland health care facilities and institutions.

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