Farming for Healthy Soils Program

Kelly Nichols, Agriculture Agent
University of Maryland Extension, Montgomery County

The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is accepting applications for the Farming for Healthy Soil Program. This program provides financial and technical assistance to farmers for implementing soil health practices on their farm. All livestock and crop (including grain, forage, fruit, and vegetables) farms are eligible for this program. Approved soil health practices include conservation tillage/residue management, multi-species cover crop mixtures, extended season cover crops, prescribed grazing, and precision nutrient management. Practices must be new to the farm; for example, adopting a practice never used on site before or changing from a one species cover crop to a two species cover crop.

Rates range from $10 to $55 per acre (Table 1). Fields eligible for the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost Share (MACS) Cover Crop Program can receive financial assistance from this grant in addition to the MACS funding; however, MACS enrolled fields must be extended season (planted before October 1 and terminated after May 1) or multi-species cover crops. The maximum funding per participating producer is $5,000 annually. Farmers must be in compliance with MDA programs (i.e. nutrient management) in order to participate.

This program runs until June 2023. Soil samples will be taken on participating farms. For more information, contact Kevin Antoszewski, MDA Healthy Soils Program Coordinator, at kevin.antoszewski@maryland.gov or (410) 841-5866.

Table 1. Eligible conservation practices and cost-share rates.