ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball on Tuesday, March 17th delivered his State of Agriculture address at the Howard County Fairgrounds, where he announced the recipients of the Agricultural Grant for Innovation and Expansion and the Enhanced Agricultural Grant, both totaling $600,000. Ball also announced the creation of the Eastern Howard County Agricultural Task Force and the launch of the HoCo Digital Farm Passport. Photos from the event can be viewed on Howard County Government's Flickr website and both Ball’s typed speech and PowerPoint presentation on the County’s website.
For generations, farming families here in Howard County have shaped the character of our county, our state, and our great nation. This labor of love is challenged by rising input costs, unpredictable weather, international trade dynamics, and market pressure that can change overnight. Since I began my term as County Executive in December 2018, we have implemented multipronged initiatives to meet evolving challenges by equipping our farmers, protecting their land and supporting their entrepreneurial needs to preserve the strong agricultural history of our county.
Since 2012, HCEDA has administered the Agricultural Grant for Innovation and Expansion (AGIE). Ball’s he FY26 budget included $100,000 for the continuation of these important grants. In FY24, Ball established a new Enhanced Agricultural Grant program, with a $250,000 investment. This funding allowed the Office of Agriculture to make 7 grant awards. On the recommendation of the Agricultural Preservation Board, the FY25 budget doubled the investment and the number of grant awards at $500,000, which was sustained in FY26. Together, these programs have helped farmers invest in equipment, infrastructure, operations, educational programming, and business growth.
The following organizations are the recipients of the FY26 Agricultural Grant for Innovation and Expansion:
- BLTeas at Heron's Meadow Farm for Solar Powered Geothermal Greenhouse Heating System - $11,000
- Branches and Batches Flower Farm for Enhanced Field Irrigation and Drainage System - $ 10,000
- Encore Stables LLC for a Facility Upgrade to an Indoor Arena - $15,000
- Entourage LLR for Steak and Eggs, an on-farm retail location to sell beef and eggs - $7,500
- Larriland Farm for its HOBO Link on-farm weather station - $20,000
- Singh Sugar Maple Farm for a 10-foot deer fence - $20,000
- TLV Tree Farm for their Turkey Facility Generator - $16,500
The following organizations are the recipients of the FY26 Enhanced Agricultural Grant:
- Addison Farms to expand their goat production for Ethnic and Local Markets - $42,454
- Clover Luck Stables for their Equestrian Learning Center - $29,000
- D.J. Adams Enterprises LLC for Space Smart Tree, which will provide native trees to meet local builder needs for landscaping - $37,000
- Gorman Farm LLC for Farm-Wide Infrastructure Stabilization for Agricultural Production - $70,000
- HatTree Nursery for its Nursery Growth and Restructure project - $37,000
- Idiots Delight Farm for Custom Combining and Grain Hauling for Harvest - $40,000
- LeCheval Stable and Counseling Center Inc for The Growing Abilities Greenhouse Initiative $45,161
- Patrick Family Limited Partnership II for its Young and New Grain Farmer's Co-op - $68,000
- Plot Twist Horse Farm for its Operational Infrastructure Expansion and Safety Improvement Project - $20,000
- Roxbury View LLC for its Agriculture Tractor/Utility Vehicle - $19,396
- Savage Community Farmers Market Inc for Expanding and Sustaining the Savage Community Farmers Market - $7,000
- Triple Creek Farm Properties LLC for their Barn and Barnyard lot improvement project - $41,000
- Warring Family Farm LLC for its Warring Farm Pastured-Poultry Feed and Processing Improvement - $13,689
- James Brown and JB Meat Goats to build a new goat barn and essential infrastructure to foster budding operation - $30,300
Ball has strongly supported the agriculture industry since he became County Executive in 2018. He has spearheaded various initiatives, including introducing and signing legislation, aimed at preserving, strengthening and supporting Howard County’s vital agricultural industry.
Just a few months after taking office, he reopened the Agricultural Land Preservation Program, which had been shut down by the previous administration. Since reopening the program, the County has invested more than $17.5 million to preserve more than 515 acres of agricultural land. In 2023, Ball and the County Council authorized $15 million in new funding to acquire additional easements and preserve farmland forever under this program.
One of the most successful initiatives in Howard County’s agricultural programming is the Roving Radish meal kit service. Since 2019, more than 61,000 meal kits have been distributed to residents while purchasing more than $424,000 worth of produce from Howard County farms. The meal kits are supplied by local producers.
In addition to meal kits, the program now includes the Marketplace at Long Reach and the Mobile Marketplace, which helps bring locally grown food directly into communities.
Additionally, in 2020, during the height of the pandemic when fresh produce supply chains were strained and shoppers were cautious going to the store, the County launched HoCo Farms Connect, an innovative tool that allowed farms to list their produce and other products available for purchase to the public.
In 2021, the Howard County Council passed Council Bill (CB) 17-2021 that allowed solar in all zones across the County. This created new revenue opportunities for property owners, allowing many farmers to continue tending their family’s land for years to come.
To further support farmers, Ball created the Office of Agriculture, only the third such office in the state. In March 2025, Ball cut the ribbon on the renovated historic Hebb House, located at West Friendship Park, to become the permanent home for the Office of Agriculture. That office, led by James Zoller, is now fully staffed with a team dedicated to supporting our agricultural community through marketing assistance, educational programs, business development, and regulatory support.
In March of 2024, a 23-member focus group was created to evaluate and make recommendations for the future of West Friendship Park. The group met throughout the Spring and early Summer and published its final recommendations in October of 2024.
Their recommendations include:
- Space for new and beginning farm operations;
- Cold storage for farmers;
- Space for 4-H and Future Farmers of America youth programs;
- More agricultural education;
- More public engagement;
- And, ultimately, the creation of an Agricultural Center that could serve as a hub for meetings, training, collaboration, and innovation.
Many of these recommendations have already been implemented or are underway. In his FY26 budget, Ball allocated $1 million for the planning and design of a new agricultural center at West Friendship Park. Currently, there is a design concept to bring together key agricultural partners under one roof, including the Office of Agriculture, University of Maryland Extension, the Agricultural Land Preservation Program, the Howard County Farm Bureau, and other vital resources that support our farming community. It will include meeting spaces, training facilities, and a demonstration kitchen to support education and collaboration.
Ball announced he intends to include $3 million in his FY27 budget to begin site development for this project, along with $500,000 requested from state partners.
During the stressful drought of 2024, local farms experienced significant impact. Crops were stressed. Yields were reduced. Livelihoods were in question. In response, Ball introduced emergency legislation to provide $1 million in drought relief grants to support our agricultural industry. Working with the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) and the Office of Agriculture, the application and review process was optimized to maximize efficiency and remove unnecessary obstacles so that funding could be distributed quickly.
Ball also addressed the ongoing question of creating a meat processing facility in the county.
In September of 2024, the HCEDA released a consultant-led feasibility study on creating a meat processing facility right here in Howard County. That study concluded that a Howard County-based processing operation is not only viable, but strategically important to the region’s agricultural sector.
Since then, HCEDA and the Office of Agriculture have worked together to search for a partner with the interest and capacity to build and operate such a facility. Capital costs are estimated at $8 to $9 million before land acquisition. Roughly 250 companies have been contacted to assess their interest in this ongoing process.
In the meantime, the County has offered a meat pickup service to help farmers transport products to processors. The County is now in the process of installing walk-in freezers at West Friendship Park that farmers will be able to lease daily, weekly, or monthly. The freezers are expected to be functional in May.
In June 2025, Howard County launched its first-ever New and Beginning Farmer program. This innovative initiative provides aspiring farmers with access to farmland, shared equipment, technical training, and business development support. In partnership with the University of Maryland Extension and HCEDA, the program gives participants the tools and experience they need to build viable agricultural businesses. The program began with seven participants in its first year and expanded to ten in the coming growing season.
In December of 2025, Ball signed CB74-2025, Zoning Regulation Amendment 217 into law.
This legislation, championed by Councilmember David Yungmann and shaped through years of collaboration among farmers, agricultural organizations, and county leaders, helps Howard County farmers grow their business while maintaining appropriate protections for surrounding communities.
To help residents more easily discover local food, farm products, equestrian services, and agricultural experiences, the County has strengthened the "HoCoFarms" website. This site is a one-stop shop to see the array of farms and the diverse services and goods they provide.
The Eastern Howard County Agricultural Task Force, which will be led by Cathy Hudson, will bring together agricultural leaders and community partners to explore thoughtful ways to support and preserve agriculture beyond the rural west.
The HoCo Digital Farm Passport encourages residents and visitors to explore local farms and farmers markets while earning rewards for supporting local agriculture. Farms can sign up now and customers can begin participating through a simple digital platform to make it easier to explore the different farms around the county.
Since 2019, the County has provided direct investment in local farms and farm-supporting businesses amounting to more than $3.5 million.