Agriculture - Maryland Food and Agricultural Resiliency Mechanism Grant Program - Expansion

SB 473 expands Maryland's Food and Agricultural Resiliency Mechanism Grant Program to include new "qualified suppliers," defined as farms or community gardens operating at least 100 acres, growing 1 million+ pounds of produce annually, and donating 25% of their harvest to food banks and emergency food providers at no cost. The bill creates a dedicated "Maryland Food and Agricultural Resiliency Operating Fund" to provide grants covering operational costs for these suppliers to deliver agricultural products to food banks and emergency food providers. Starting in fiscal year 2027, the state must appropriate $1 million annually to this fund through the governor's budget. This directly affects eligible farms and community gardens meeting the size, production, and donation criteria, while supporting food banks and emergency food providers statewide.