Maryland Food and Agricultural Resiliency Mechanism Grant Program (MFARM)

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The Maryland Food and Agricultural Resiliency Mechanism Grant Program (MFARM) helps people who are food insecure to access the nourishment that they need, while providing a market for farmers to sell their products. The purpose of this program is to build food system resiliency by leveraging Maryland agricultural/seafood products and services to support the State's food banks and charitable emergency food providers to alleviate food insecurity.

The grant program allows Maryland's food banks, charitable emergency food providers and nonprofits to request funding to purchase agricultural/seafood products listed in the Certified Local Farm and Fish Program and deliver it to Maryland families in need throughout the year.

The funding priority is to purchase agricultural/seafood products listed in the Certified Local Farm and Chesapeake Invasive Species Provider Directory.

Grant funds may also be used to fund the following activities;

The transportation of agricultural/seafood products

Eligibility and Funding Amounts

Maryland food banks, charitable emergency food providers, and nonprofits with a focus on food insecurity/food access that are registered and are in Good Standing with Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Nonprofits must also be registered as a charity with the Maryland Secretary of State. An official and signed W-9 form will be required by all applicants. If you have an established relationship with producers\seafood providers from the Certified Local Farm and Fish Directory, you will need to provide a Letter of Support from the producers that is signed and preferably on letterhead.

Funding Availability: $200,000

Minimum Request: $5,000
Maximum Request: $40,000
Funding Formula: 80% of the funds will go towards food costs while 20% of the funds can go towards transportation/distribution, staff, supplies, etc.

2025 MFARM Recipients

Aaron's Place

Grant amount: $20,000

Project description: Aaron's Place, a Caroline County-based food pantry, will use this funding to purchase fresh food from local farmers and seafood processors helping them feed those in need in Maryland's Mid-Shore region.

AfriThrive

Grant amount: $22,440

Project description: AfriThrive connects small farmers growing culturally appropriate foods with those in need in the immigrant and refugee communities in Prince George's and Baltimore counties.

Appalachian Farm & Food Alliance

Grant amount: $40,000

Project description: The Garrett Growers Cooperative will supply 150 Garrett County families with school-aged children with weekly vegetable boxes during the fall and summer as part of this initiative.

Capital Area Food Bank

Grant amount: $20,000

Project description: The Capital Area Food Bank will use these funds to purchase Wild Caught Chesapeake Blue Catfish from Tilghman Island Seafood to distribute in Prince George's and Montgomery counties.

Civic Works, Baltimore City

Grant amount: $40,000

Project description: This urban non-profit's "Food as Medicine" initiative will be supported by these funds, providing for those in need within the city. Chesapeake Farm to Table will supply the produce, with deliveries handled by volunteers and a collaboration with DoorDash.

Community FarmShare, Montgomery County

Grant amount: $20,000

Project description: Community FarmShare, a non-profit organization, will utilize funding to decrease the cost of fresh, locally sourced produce for those in need, operating through its mobile farm market.

Frederick Farm to School

Grant amount: $7,560

Project description: Frederick Farm to School will provide fresh, local food to two low-income communities in Frederick via the Farm to School Veggie vans.

OurSpace World

Grant amount: $20,000

Project description: This non-profit aims to connect small farmers with communities in need within Prince George's County. Funding will establish a consistent market for Sisters of Soil Community Farm, located in Largo.

Prince George's Community College

Grant amount: $10,000

Project description: Prince George's Community College will provide food to food insecure college students from county farmers to three college campuses: Largo, Laurel and Hyattsville.

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