Urban Agriculture Water & Power Grants

​​​Photo of crops growing through black plastic with hoses nearby
Water and Power Grants for Urban Farms
Maryland’s Small Farm and Urban Agriculture Program is now accepting applications for its Urban Agriculture Water and Power Infrastructure Grant​s. Approved by the Maryland General Assembly in 2022, this financial assistance program provides the department with up to $500,000 in annual funding through Fiscal Year 2027 to help urban farms and community gardens  purchase and install equipment to access water and electricity needed to sustain their operations. 

Enrollment Dates
Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis as long as funds remain available. 

Who Should Apply for this Grant?
  • ​​To qualify for this grant, you must produce a farm product that generates a minimum of $1,000 in sales or donations annually. 
  • You must comply with all local, state, or federal regulations and secure required project permits​.  
  • Eligibility for this grant is limited to operations located in urban areas as defined by the United States Census Bureau and ​any incorporated municipality recognized by the State of Maryland. Please click the interactive map link to determine if your property meets the location criteria. ​
Grant Highlights​
  • ​Eligible expenses include water meters, water pipes, irrigation hoses, electric meters, electrical lines, or other equipment authorized by the department. 
  • The grant provides up to 87.5% of the total project cost. 
  • Bids are required from authorized contractors to perform work on public roads, sidewalks, water mains, and transformers and from private contractors for on-site installation services.
Get Started
Check the interactive ma​p to see if your property meets the location criteria. If your property qualifies, download the application​.  Grant applications will be accepted as long as funds remain available. For more information, please contact Bill Tharpe, Program Administrator for the Small Farm & Urban Agriculture Program, at bill.tharpe@maryland.gov or 410-841-5869. 

About Us 
Maryland’s Small Farm and Urban Agriculture Program provides financial assistance to support small-scale agricultural operations in urban, peri-urban, rural, and suburban areas. Its goal is to increase community access to healthy foods by helping farmers improve their management of natural resources by adopting Bay-friendly and climate-smart farming practices. Additional programs aimed at urban and small farms are currently in the planning stages. Please check back often for new programs and updates.

Updated 7/20/23

​​Contact Information

Bill Tharpe
Program Administrator

Phone: 410-841-5869
bill.tharpe@maryland.gov

Office Address
50 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Annapolis, MD 21401​


Forms & Resources

Image of maryland with Maryland Urban Agriculture Designation Map link

Annual Reports