ANNAPOLIS, MD– Governor Moore today announced that 44 organizations have received nearly $4 million in awards from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s NourishMD Grant Program in an effort to increase fresh food options in Maryland.
“Every Marylander should have access to healthy, nutritious and fresh food, no matter their zip code,” said Gov. Moore. “As our administration works to address food insecurity, the NourishMD grants work to address nutritional health gaps and ensure that every community has the necessary food to thrive.”
NourishMD provides grants to support the development, stabilization and expansion of retail outlets that provide fresh food in Maryland’s food deserts, areas where residents have limited or no access to nutritious food options. The program is offered by the Department’s Division of Business Development in partnership with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Health. Initial program support comes from $2 million in state funds; with an expanded rural focus thanks to $1.65 million in federal funds via the Maryland Rural Health Transformation Program.
“No Marylander’s access to fresh and healthy food should depend on their ZIP code,” said Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day. “The NourishMD awards are investments in the people and businesses of Maryland as the Moore-Miller Administration works to reduce food insecurity by providing a necessary boost to our community-based small businesses and nonprofits.”
NourishMD provides eligible food retailers with grants of between $25,000 and $150,000 for capital-related needs such as certain facility upgrades, infrastructure and technology and equipment purchases, including cold storage. To be eligible for funding, businesses must be located in an area with a Fresh Food Gap Score of 60 or higher as provided by the Maryland Community Business Compass, an initiative of Governor Wes Moore’s Innovation Team, led by the State’s Chief Innovation Officer, Francesca Ioffreda.
A total of 44 organizations across 18 Maryland counties will receive $3.65 million in NourishMD awards, including:
- Horizon Goodwill Industries will use their award for the development and establishment of Horizon Market, a nonprofit full-service grocery store located in Hagerstown. The project is intended to expand access to affordable fresh and healthy foods for residents who face transportation barriers and high levels of food insecurity.
- The Appalachian Farm and Food Alliance in Garrett County will transform the Mountain Fresh Farmers Market pavilion in Oakland into a year-round fresh food hub serving residents in Garrett County’s food gap area.
- The Crisfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center will establish a community-based “Local Food Marketplace” at its Chamber and Visitor Center in Crisfield in Somerset County.
- Mayo Snackz Too Food Park will establish a permanent food hub in the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Baltimore City. This awardee, – who works with Cherry Hill Strong and the Governor’s Office forof Children as part of the ENOUGH Initiative to address child poverty, – will provide residents with access to groceries, prepared foods and staple household items within walking distance of their homes.
- The Capital Market will use NourishMD funding to develop the BlueLine Agrihub in Prince George’s County. In partnership with Gethsemane United Methodist Church, the project will create shared processing, climate-controlled storage and commercial kitchen space to support more than 75 Maryland-based farmers and food producers, strengthen healthy food access and expand the regional food economy.
The NourishMD Grant Program prioritizes awards to businesses that accept, or are seeking support to become able to accept, federal nutrition benefits. To support this, DHCD entered into a co-awarding partnership with the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Maryland Market Money Program. The Maryland Market Money Program provides a dollar-for-dollar match for purchases made using federal nutrition benefits at participating Maryland farmers’ markets, farm stands and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), while providing technical assistance, training, marketing and additional services to stakeholders.
“Expanding access to fresh, healthy food goes hand in hand with creating new opportunities for Maryland farmers,” said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks. “Through Maryland Market Money, we’re helping residents stretch their food dollars while ensuring local farmers and food businesses benefit from every purchase. NourishMD builds on that success by expanding the number of places where Marylanders can access nutritious, locally grown food, which helps strengthen communities, supports local agriculture and makes healthy choices more accessible for everyone.”
The NourishMD Grant Program received $1.65 million for the first year through Maryland’s Rural Health Transformation Program. This funding may be renewable for up to five years. The Maryland Department of Health received $168 million in federal funding in the first year of the award to strengthen and modernize health care in rural areas across the state. The Department leads the deployment of funds across the state to reach these goals. The Rural Health Transformation Program funding will serve to enhance the Moore-Miller Administration’s ongoing efforts to bolster health care access and affordability in Maryland’s rural communities.
“Healthy communities begin with access to nutritious food, and tackling it requires a united approach,” said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Meena Seshamani. “The Department of Health is proud to invest in NourishMD, ensuring that families across our rural communities have access to healthy food options. This collaborative effort strengthens local businesses while addressing underlying conditions that contribute to people’s overall health.”
To learn more about the NourishMD Grant Program, visit the Department’s website.
The Maryland Rural Health Transformation Program is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $168,180,837.61 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
Photos from today’s awardee ceremony can be found at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Flickr photo page.
