ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced applications are now being accepted for the transformational Drought Relief Grants to assist Howard County farms negatively impacted by the extreme heat and drought that impacted Maryland this past summer and for the County’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Enhanced Agricultural Grant (EAG) program. Grants will be administered by the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) in cooperation with the County’s Office of Agriculture.
Our farms and rural heritage are essential elements of the economy and quality of life that make Howard County a great place to live, work, play, grow and thrive. We lead in agricultural preservation, promotion and innovation, with grants like these which provide the resources essential to help our agricultural community continue to evolve and expand, as well as solidify our commitment to empowering our farmers to continue their invaluable work.
Drought Relief Grants
The Maryland State Climatologist reported that mean temperatures in Howard County reached 3.6°F above normal in June and 3.3°F above normal in July, making it the third hottest June and fifth hottest July in Howard County’s history. This extreme heat was coupled with Howard County experiencing roughly half its normal rainfall levels during the summer months, resulting in drought conditions.
With $1,000,000 in total County funding allocated for Drought Relief Grants, up to $30,000 in primary and secondary grants will be available to Howard County farms negatively impacted by extreme heat and drought this summer 2024. Offered on a rolling basis, primary grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to applicants who incurred $5,000 or less in losses due to the extreme summer heat. Primary grant applications are being accepted now through January 30, 2025. Secondary grants totaling up to $25,000 will be awarded to farming operations that experienced losses greater than $5,000. The secondary grant addendum application is due by February 15, 2025.
Challenges faced and losses incurred from these extreme weather conditions, have tested the resilience of all Howard County farmers this summer, including commodity crop farms, produce growers and hay producers. Farmers have faced higher irrigation expenses and persistently low crop prices, compounded by rising input costs, such as seed, fuel and fertilizer.
“As an organization dedicated to sustaining and growing Howard County’s economy, we recognize the essential role that our farmers play in the community,” said Jennifer Jones, CEO of HCEDA. “This grant program is an investment not only in our agricultural sector but in the resilience of our entire local economy. By supporting farmers facing unprecedented challenges, we’re reinforcing the backbone of our county’s food system and economy, ensuring that they can continue to thrive. HCEDA is committed to standing with our agricultural partners and providing them with the resources needed to navigate these difficult times and beyond.”
Drought Relief Grant applications can be found online on the Office of Agriculture’s website. For questions and/or more information about this grant program, email the Office of Agriculture at aggrants@howardcountymd.gov.
Here’s what local farmers are saying about the impact of 2024’s extreme weather on their farming operations:
“While the average high temperature for the month of July 2024 was only about 1° greater than it was in 2023, we had 16 days of temperatures above 90°F in 2024 versus just six in 2023. When temperatures are above 90, we historically see a significant decrease in foot traffic through the farm. Those 16 days this July, cost us approximately $118,000 in lost income,” said Larriland Farm’s Fenby Moore. “Additionally, with Howard County receiving less than a 10th of an inch of rainfall in July, coupled with the heat, we had to spend approximately $7,800 extra in irrigation to keep our crops going. In July 2024 alone, the heat and drought cost our farm more than $125,000 in lost income and unforeseen expenses combined. Add the additional lost income of $9,800 and $3,300 in damage we sustained in August, when Hurricane Debbi made its way up the coast, the farm in total suffered nearly $140,000 in losses due to weather conditions experienced in a 40-day period alone this summer.”
“Our pastures were severely dried out and as a result, the weeds were out of control, leaving us having to mow or spray 50 percent more than the usual amount,” said Howie Feaga of Merry Acres Farm. “The same took place in the hay fields. We are currently 45 to 50 percent behind in production of our second cutting hay and are having trouble keeping up with the demands of our customers, who are supplementing their pastures because of the lack of rain. Monetarily we are probably looking at a loss of $10,000 to $15,000 so far this year.”
“We have had losses due to the draught of $33,000 on beans and $62,000 on corn, while hay production has been reduced by 50 percent, adding an additional $12,000 loss,” said Mark Mullinex, J. David Mullinex and Sons.
Enhanced Agricultural Grant
Given the success of the EAG’s pilot program in 2023, which offered up to $250,000 for farmers, non-profits and organizations serving Howard County’s agricultural community, Ball allocated an additional $250,000 in his FY 2025 budget to bring the total funding for the grant program to $500,000. The EAG can be used for programming, research and/or capital investments, provided the grant facilitates the expansion, sustainability and/or education of Howard County agriculture.
“The Enhanced Agricultural Grant program is a strategic investment in Howard County’s agricultural future,” said Jennifer Jones, CEO of HCEDA. “This expanded funding empowers our farmers and agricultural organizations to adopt new technologies, expand operations, and drive economic growth across our community, strengthening our local economy and supporting a more sustainable agricultural ecosystem.”
Grant applications will be evaluated by the Agricultural Preservation Board, which will prioritize applications that strengthen agriculture overall in Howard County. Applications are due by February 28, 2025 and awardees will be announced by early March. The grant application and additional information about the program are available on the Office of Agriculture’s website.
“Our farms face challenges from fluctuating input and sale prices, to weather, labor shortages, and low profit margins.” said James Zoller, Administrator, Office of Agriculture. “The Enhanced Agricultural Grant gives farmers and agriculture-supporting organizations the opportunity to meet today’s challenges and continue to farm for future generations.”
Here’s what four of the seven EAG pilot program recipients have to say about the program:
Sharp’s at Waterford Farm was awarded $42,093 to purchase a drone to implement precision aerial agriculture. “Receiving the Enhanced Agricultural Grant was the enabling factor that allowed me to move forward with the acquisition of the DJI Agras drone,” said Alan Sharp, Sharp’s at Waterford Farm. “The drone is expanding our window of opportunity to get more acres covered in less time with greater flexibility. We are gaining efficiency and can be more productive with fewer inputs thanks to the Enhanced Agricultural Grant program.”
Chesapeake Flower Exchange was awarded $35,214 to purchase a delivery van. “Howard County gave us wheels! The Enhanced Agricultural Grant funded the purchase of a delivery van for Chesapeake Flower Exchange. This purchase fueled our ability to deliver fresh, seasonal locally grown flowers and foliage to customers in Maryland, Virginia, and the District. Making it easy for florists to use our products means more business for our farmers, increasing the economic viability of our member growers,” said Lisa Derx, Chesapeake Flower Exchange.
Bowling Green Beef LLC was awarded $25,000 to implement a cattle handling system. “I would like to take a minute to say how happy we are with the improvements in our operations thanks to the Enhanced Agricultural Grant,” said Tim Jones, Bowling Green Beef. “It is nice to know we have a partner in our efforts to supply local, healthy and regeneratively raised beef for our community. We have been able to work with our cattle much more safely which makes it a lot less stressful for both us and our cattle. We have also been able to monitor weight gain and improvements in our grazing system with the scales incorporated in the system.”
Little Portion Farm awarded $34,083 to cultivate community and grow its infrastructure. “The Enhanced Agricultural Grant provided the support to complete much-needed work on our greenhouse and to install infrastructure to improve the visitor and volunteer experience on our nonprofit farm,” said Matt Jones, Little Portion Farm. “We are very grateful for this program because it made these farm improvements possible!”
Additional pilot program awardees include:
- Haybusters was awarded $64,716 to purchase a poultry litter spreader;
- Howard County Library System was awarded $19,854 for its Teen Sprouts program; and
- William Dale Hough was awarded $29,038 for a swine farrowing facility.