MARBIDCO

SUPPORTING MARYLAND’S AGRICULTURE THROUGH FINANCING

MARBIDCO (Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation) provides financial programs, including agribusiness loans and grants, to support and enhance Maryland's agricultural, forestry, and seafood industries. The quasi-public organization focuses on assisting new and existing businesses, young and beginning farmers, and landowners to foster sustainability, profitability, rural economic growth, and the preservation of working farmland.

About MARBIDCO: Vision and Value Statements
MARBIDCO News 
Video by Joshua Woroniecki: Pexels. com
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Opening Tomorrow January 15, 2026

The USDA Value-Added Producer Grant Program and a matching grant from MARBDICO are offered annually. Both programs open tomorrow. The USDA grant requires a non-federal financial matching commitment, which qualified MARBIDCO applicants may be eligible to receive. MARBIDCO will make grants available to eligible applicants to provide up to 15% of the matching funds requirement under the USDA VAPG.  These funds are required for planning or working capital purposes in accordance with USDA regulations. Eligible purposes include determining appropriate marketing techniques and creating business plans, as well as paying operating expenses before a business has sufficient cash flow from operations.  Additionally, a commitment letter will be provided to qualified applicants approximately seven days before the federal deadline. Funds will only be disbursed to applicants who are awarded 2026 USDA Value-Added Producer Grants.

Financing Maryland’s Food and Fiber Future

With years of collective experience in commercial lending and agricultural knowledge, our team assists agribusinesses of various sizes in obtaining the necessary capital to seize new opportunities. We combine extensive financial expertise with the support of commercial lenders to streamline the borrowing process and provide low-cost financing that meets your specific objectives.

We have many programs to help you start or grow your business:

  • Livestock Processing Financing - poultry, beef, hogs, seafood, blue catfish

  • Vineyards, Hopyards, and Orchard Planting Loans

  • Seafood Loans - Oyster Shucking House Fund

  • Aquaculture Financing

  • Agriculture Added-Value Grants

  • Urban Farming Grant

  • Young and Beginning Farmer Land Financing

  • Working Capital Financing

  • Farmland Purchase Loans

  • Crop Support

  • Agricultural Equipment Financing

  • Equine Loans

  • Dairy Financing

  • Forestry Equipment Financing

  • Produce Grants

  • Veterinarian truck/equipment loan

Photo: Taylors Island Maryland Facebook

One of our goals is to assist new and beginning farmers in purchasing farmland that can eventually be preserved, while also inspiring a new generation of farmers in their entrepreneurial endeavors.

For New & Beginning Farmers

We have several programs to get new farmers on track to purchase a farm, no matter what size. The Next Gen and SANG programs assist with a down payment and can help preserve the working farmland in perpetuity. Click the button to learn more about education, training, business resources, and our many grant and loan programs tailored to young and beginning farmers. Call us to discuss your future at 410-267-6807.

Let’s get started today!

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For most MARBIDCO programs, practical farm and/or business experience is required and may be supplemented by academic or hands-on training experience.

Our loan and grant programs require business plans and borrower financial information to be submitted. If you have some experience in commercial agriculture, forestry, or seafood, or are working with a mentor, you may qualify for one of our loan or grant programs.

In delivering our financing programs, we work cooperatively with commercial banks, Farm Credit Associations, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), as well as other federal, State, and local government agencies and land grant universities. Please contact us to find out which programs may be right for your business.

What People Are Saying About MARBDICO

Frozen sage and mint flavor ice pops in clear packaging with a green label, partially covered by fresh mint leaves.
“We were fortunate to receive a grant from MARBIDCO that truly transformed our business. With their support, we built a commercial kitchen on our farm, which allowed us to turn our homegrown herbs into a unique value-added product: Urban+Ade, an herb-infused lemonade. Thanks to this grant, we’ve been able to offer Urban+Ade in three versatile formats—by the cup, in fill-and-serve pouches, and unsweetened pouches—giving our farmers market customers more options and helping us expand into the online marketplace. This journey, made possible by MARBIDCO’s belief in our vision, has been a reminder of what’s possible when opportunity meets determination meets financial support. We’re incredibly grateful and inspired to continue growing and sharing something special with our community and beyond.”
— Julie Stinar, owner of Evensong Farm
Loan Programs
For New Farmers
Download MARBIDCO Program Summary
Grant Programs
For Veterans
For Commercial Lenders

“As a young farmer with no collateral or credit history to purchase such a big investment, it is hard to get started in the ag business. MARBIDCO and Horizon Farm Credit have allowed us to establish a future for our family business. Since purchasing our farm, we have been steadily improving our operation.”

– Ryan Rhodes, Poultry Farmer
Queen Anne’s County, MD