Montgomery County has launched a new grant program to help small local farms sell their food to schools, hospitals, senior centers, and other
institutional buyers, strengthening the region’s food system and expanding market access for farmers.
The FY26 Food Aggregation Grant Program, administered by the Montgomery County Office of Food Systems Resilience (OFSR), is designed to close a long-standing gap in the regional food system: strong demand from public institutions for locally grown food, and limited market access for small farms that cannot meet large volume purchasing requirements on their own.
From the county press release:
“This investment supports our economic development and climate goals by making it easier for local institutions to purchase food grown right here in Montgomery County,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “Our region lacks this type of infrastructure, and having an aggregation facility locally will shorten supply chains, support family-owned farms, and put more nutritious food on the tables of our residents.”
To address this challenge, the County is seeking experienced food aggregators and distributors to establish and operate a local food aggregation facility in Montgomery County. These facilities combine products from multiple small farms, allowing local food to be sold at the scale required by institutional buyers.
“This investment will help the regional food system respond to daily institutional needs while building long-term resilience and self-sufficiency,” said Heather Bruskin, director of OFSR.
Maryland law requires state institutions to work toward purchasing at least 20% of their food from local sources, yet many agencies have struggled to meet these targets due to challenges connecting with producers. At the same time, Montgomery County is home to more than 100 food farmers and food entrepreneurs who face barriers accessing institutional markets because of their small scale.
Food aggregation facilities solve this problem by pooling products from multiple farms, creating reliable sales channels that help small producers grow, improve profitability, and strengthen the local food supply.
“Connecting local producers to reliable markets keeps more of our harvest and revenue close to home,” said Mike Scheffel, director of the County’s Office of Agriculture, “while improving access to fresh, nutritious food for schools, healthcare partners, and families.”
