The Maryland Department of Agriculture provides conservation grants and loans to help farmers offset the cost of installing best management practices on their farms to protect natural resources and comply with federal, state and local environmental requirements. Please click the links to learn more about our programs.
The Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program provides grants that cover up to 100 percent of the cost to install BMPs on farms to control soil erosion, manage nutrients and safeguard water quality in streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Approximately 40 BMPs are currently eligible for funding. The Cover Crop Program provides farmers with grants to plant small grains in their fields in the fall to conserve nutrients, control soil erosion, and protect water quality. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)—a federal-state partnership program--pays landowners attractive land rental rates to take environmentally sensitive cropland out of production for 10 to 15 years and plant buffers and other conservation practices that protect water quality and provide wildlife habitat. A Manure Management Program helps farmers manage manure resources, comply with nutrient management regulations, and protect water quality in local streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay. Our Ecosystem Incentives Program provides a menu of conservation incentives that promote clean water, healthy soils, and climate solutions. These include MDA's Conservation Buffer Incentive, Tree Planting Incentives, CREP bonus payments, Cover Crop Plus grants, Tax Incentives for Conservation Equipment, and Low Interest Loans (LILAC) for agricultural conservation projects. Maryland’s Small Farm and Urban Agriculture Program provides financial assistance to support small-scale agricultural operations located in urban, peri-urban, rural, and suburban areas. It aims 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.
Photo Credit: Edwin Remsberg
