Nearly $3.6 Million Awarded to Expand Access to Local Food Storage and Distribution

ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 13, 2026) The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is pleased to announce that 37 organizations across Maryland are the recipients of nearly $3.6 million through the Postharvest Infrastructure Grant Program, an initiative of the federally-funded Maryland Rural Health Transformation Program. The grant program is designed to expand food aggregation and distribution capacities within rural communities across Maryland by expanding and establishing new cold storage and delivery networks. 

“Investing in infrastructure that will help safely store, transport and distribute Maryland-grown and harvested products is an investment for the entire state,” said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks. “These grants will create stronger markets for our farmers and watermen, while ensuring consumers have reliable access to nutritious and locally-produced food.” 

The projects will improve cold storage infrastructure by purchasing coolers and freezers; retrofitting existing distribution vehicles with cooling equipment; upgrading or installing inventory tracking systems; enhancing loading docks and handling equipment; and modernizing food safety systems, among others. 

By strengthening the operational capacity of local food producers, residents will have increased access to nutritious, safe and locally-sourced products that benefit the state’s economy and communities. The program supports a wide range of providers encompassing fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood. 

“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 the Postharvest Infrastructure Grant Program, ensuring that families across our rural communities have access to healthy food options. This collaborative effort strengthens the capacity of local businesses while addressing underlying conditions that contribute to people’s overall health.”

Some of the 37 operations across 16 Maryland rural counties receiving funding include:

• Baugher Enterprises, Inc. (Carroll County): Grant will upgrade an existing cold storage door and refrigerated truck to create a cold storage supply chain from farm to rural farm markets and food banks. 
• Chestnut Hill Farm and Market, LLC (Washington County): Funding will be used to install walk-in coolers to provide critical temperature-controlled storage for fruits and vegetables grown on the farm.  
• James Morris Seafood & Supplies (St. Mary’s County): Will use funding to develop a cold storage supply chain to provide fresh quality seafood to rural communities. 
• Pleasant Hill Produce, LLC (Frederick County): Grant will be used to expand the farm’s limited cold storage capacity to scale up operations to meet the growing demand for more Maryland-grown food in rural communities.  
• Shlagel Farms, LLC (Charles County): Will use the grant to purchase a refrigerated truck with a lift gate to maintain a cold storage supply chain when transporting fresh products from the farm to community partners throughout rural southern Maryland.
• Cornerstone Farms, Inc. at Wrights Market (Wicomico County):  Funding will be used to hire contractors to install three-phase electric power and a new walk-in cooler, which will connect directly to the farm’s existing solar array.
• Barefoot Farm Market (Worcester County): Grant funding will be used to purchase a refrigerated trailer to transport meat directly from the butcher to the farm store. This new equipment will also provide vital cold storage capacity for surplus meat.

For more information about the Postharvest Infrastructure Grant Program, including the full list of awardees, please visit the Postharvest Infrastructure Grant Program 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 to the Maryland Department of Health totaling $168,180,837.61 for the initial budget period with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents of this release 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