Grasonville, Maryland (Monday, January 18th) – Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board members met January 7-8, 2021 to consider 34 grant proposals covering research, education, and market development for funding. Check-off dollars from corn, wheat, barley, oats, and sorghum are used to support grants approved by the Utilization Board. The board is composed of grain farmers representing all regions of the state along with advisory members from the Maryland Department of Agriculture, University of Maryland, agriculture industry representatives, and the Maryland Agriculture Commission.
For the 2021 funding cycle, 29 grants were funded totaling $860,580 reinvested into the profitability of Maryland’s grain farmers. Grants include funding for MPT’s highly successful television show Maryland Farm and Harvest, LEAD Maryland, the My Maryland Farmers campaign, and many educational programs through Extension. Overall, 12 research projects were funded investigating wheat and barley varieties, critical nutrient levels in major crops, and the efficacy of pesticide and fungicides in Maryland conditions. These check-off funded projects seek to return the farmers’ investment to grain producers across the state. To see the grantee breakdown, click here.
Newly-elected Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board President, John Bruning said, “Funding projects to improve public understanding of agriculture, the development and maintenance of markets for grain, and learning more about managing the grains we produce, is crucial to the future success of Maryland’s grain farmers.”
The Maryland Grain Producers is grateful to have received strong proposals for funding, despite the unknowns 2021 holds, and appreciate the agriculture community’s work to advance our mission for producers across the state.
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