The Rural Maryland Council has announced opened the grant application process for the FY 2013 Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF).  MAERDAF grants are for rural-serving nonprofit organizations that promote statewide and regional planning, economic and community development, and agricultural and forestry education. Also eligible are rural community colleges that support small and agricultural businesses through enhanced training and technical assistance. MAERDAF’s goal is to increase the overall capacity of rural-serving nonprofit organizations and community colleges to meet a multitude of rural development challenges and to help them establish new public/private partnerships for leveraging non-state sources of funding.

Applications are due by June 6, 2012.  For more information visit the Rural Maryland Council webpage.(  FY 2013 grant information is available on the left side of the MAERDAF page.)