{"id":30242,"date":"2026-04-30T11:24:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T15:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/?post_type=article&p=30242"},"modified":"2026-04-30T11:24:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T15:24:00","slug":"maryland-diversion-grants","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/es\/article\/composting-for-community\/maryland-diversion-grants","title":{"rendered":"ILSR Advocacy Establishes Maryland\u2019s First Organics Diversion Grant Program"},"template":"","class_list":["post-30242","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","article_type-article","initiatives-composting-for-community","topics-community-composting","topics-on-farm-composting","topics-zero-waste","impact_areas-democratic-governance","impact_areas-food-security","authors-sophia-jones"],"acf":{"details":{"featured_image":30318,"background_color":"tan","article_type":[134],"initiative":15,"display_event_fields":false,"start_date":null,"end_date":null,"start_time":null,"end_time":null,"time_zone":"America\/New_York","virtual_event":false,"location":"","topics":[42,99,121],"impact_areas":[19,18],"abstract":"A new Maryland law establishes a $250,000 annual grant program for on-farm organics recycling and compost use, wasted food prevention, and food rescue.","authors_tax":[629]},"sidebar":{"title":"\u00cdndice"},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"

Prioritizing community benefits and high-quality compost, the $250,000 grant fund charts the way towards zero waste. More substantial funding, however, is still needed. <\/span><\/h3>\r\nOn April 28, 2026, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed <\/span>HB 429<\/span><\/a>\/<\/span>SB 599<\/span><\/a>, \u201cOn-Farm Organics Diversion and Recycling Grant Program,\u201d into law, establishing a $250,000 annual grant program for on-farm organics recycling and compost use, wasted food prevention, and food rescue. This bipartisan bill is the result of five years of advocacy and policy language development, spearheaded by ILSR\u2019s <\/span>Iniciativa comunitaria de compostaje<\/span><\/a> and engaging a wide array of stakeholders along the way.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nMaryland has been among the national leaders in composting and organics diversion policy, with existing legislation that supports organics diversion, on-farm composting, and wasted food recovery, many of which ILSR <\/span>played a role in passing<\/span><\/a>. At the same time, in-state landfills <\/span>emit high levels of methane<\/span><\/a>, landfill capacity is steadily decreasing, and locally-accessible infrastructure for alternatives to disposal is lacking. Funding and financial incentives for in-state food waste prevention, recovery, and composting capacity remain major barriers to progress, especially as the state <\/span>aims to achieve<\/span><\/a> a 60% reduction in emissions by 2031 and net-zero in 2045. Dedicated funding for solutions was the clear next step.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe establishment of the On-Farm Organics Diversion and Recycling Grant Program reflects a commitment to preventing, rescuing, and diverting wasted food from disposal. Agriculture is the <\/span>single largest land use and largest commercial industry in the state<\/span><\/a>, and this bill takes an important step toward supporting farmers and growers by providing funding for edible food rescue, on-farm composting, and compost use to build soil health. With proper support for this work, Maryland\u2019s farmers can play a key role in achieving greater food security, soil health, resource conservation, and emissions reductions. As Ellen Polishuk, owner of Plant to Profit, puts it, <\/span>\"<\/span>Farmers want to use compost as a way to build soil health and thus profitability, while reducing their reliance on synthetic fertilizers and the volatile markets that determine their price. In order to do that, they need access to high-quality compost, specialized equipment, financial support, and technical assistance.\"<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhile the initial budget allocation of $250,000 per year is only a small fraction of the investment needed to achieve these goals, this bill establishes a strong grant program and opens the door for additional funding.<\/span>","":null,"settings":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_image_grid","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_image_grid":{"repeater":false,"images":[30366,30363,30364,30362],"images_repeater":null,"ratio":"normal","width":"full"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"

On-Farm Organics Diversion and Recycling Grant Program<\/span><\/h2>\r\nBetween the 2022 and 2026 legislative sessions, ILSR worked with the bill sponsors and many stakeholders to fine-tune the grant program details. The program is carefully designed to develop alternatives to food waste and organics disposal, while prioritizing projects that directly benefit Marylanders.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe On-Farm Organics Diversion and Recycling Grant Program, launching on July 1, 2028, will award grants to a <\/span>variety of eligible entities<\/span><\/a> for projects that develop, maintain, or expand infrastructure, collection programs, education, or technical assistance for wasted food reduction, food rescue, composting, or organics recycling. This funding may support things such as:<\/span>\r\n