(6/2022) Summertime is nearly here. Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the season. I am proud that in Frederick County, we set aside time each Memorial Day to pay tribute to the men and women who died in service to our nation. Thanks to the American Legion Post 282 for keeping this tradition alive.
In May, we returned to our traditional in-person graduation ceremonies at our high schools and colleges. Congratulations to all the new graduates who recently earned their diplomas and degrees! As the school year wraps up, Frederick County’s carnival season kicks off. Grab some homemade apple dumplings at the Thurmont Ambulance Company’s carnival, which runs through June 4th. If you love a parade, be sure to check out Thurmont’s on June 23rd, and catch Emmitsburg’s annual Community Heritage Day parade on the 25th, part of a day packed with events.
Agriculture Innovation Center
Our farmers grow food and fiber for all of us. One of my top priorities is to ensure that agriculture remains economically viable for years to come. That means preserving our best farmland and helping our agriculture community to thrive through innovation.
I am excited that we are taking the first step toward bringing an agriculture innovation center to Frederick County. A center with shared use facilities could allow farmers to create value-added products without investing in costly equipment. We have contracted with a team of experts to determine what the demand may be for a center. This team brings national experience and local knowledge of the agriculture industry.
Their study will start with a survey and a series of focus groups within Frederick County’s agriculture community. Then they will analyze their findings and create a business plan. Ultimately the team will recommend the type of agriculture center that would create the greatest economic impact, as well as a list of potential sites and a detailed business plan to support the center.
An agriculture innovation center could be a real game-changer. The center could include a fully equipped commercial kitchen space, cold and dry storage spaces, and packaging and distribution equipment. The demand for butchering services has increased significantly over the past two years, and the four meat processors in Frederick County are booked well into 2023, so a shared facility could be one way to help meet that demand.
We know that sharing space and equipment can make a huge difference for operations trying to bring a new product to market. The goal of an agriculture center is to eliminate the high cost to start up a business and minimize the financial risk for farmers.
The County’s Office of Economic Development partnered with HR&A Advisors, ACDS LLC, and Epstein and Sons International. HR&A’s senior advisor for this project has worked on strategic plans for many food procession facilities, markets and agricultural business parks, including Pike Place in Seattle, Washington, and Agricenter International in Memphis, Tennessee. ACDS, based in Friendship, Maryland, conducts rural economic development efforts nationally and internationally. Epstein is an engineering, architecture and construction company that specializes in the food industry. Epstein worked on Cloverdale Farms’ processing facility expansion in North Dakota.
If you want to learn more about the agriculture innovation center, contact Katie Stevens, Associate Director of Agriculture Business Development for the County, at 301-600-3037 or by emailing KStevens1@FrederickCountyMD.gov.
Leaving a legacy of agriculture may be one of the most important things we do to protect and preserve what we love about Frederick County."
Grants for Small Nonprofits
There is still time for small nonprofit organizations that were affected by the pandemic to apply for a grant. We set aside $1 million of Frederick County’s American Rescue Plan Act allocation to help these organizations. The ARPA Nonprofit Community Health and Recovery, or ANCHR, grants are for organizations that have not been eligible for previous recovery programs. Grant amounts range from $5,000 to $50,000, based on the nonprofit’s annual budget.
Our nonprofit community works every day to make life better for people in Frederick County. With these grants, we are providing small nonprofits an anchor to help them weather the storm created by the pandemic.
Funds may be used recover from revenue gaps or increased expenses, such as a drop in donations or a higher demand for service, or to help cover payroll, rent or other operating costs. Grants also can be used to expand or create community programs to address needs created by COVID-19.
Details on how to apply were mailed directly to nonprofits last month. Additional details are available at www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/ANCHR. The deadline to apply is June 9th.
New Fire Station
Frederick County’s newest fire station will be dedicated later this month. The Northgate Fire Station on the north end of Thomas Johnson Drive, has easy access to Route 15 and Monocacy Boulevard. That means we can reach people faster when they need assistance, because it’s all about taking care of people. The state-of-the-art facility will be able to house up to 22 firefighters. We expect Northgate to be busy as soon as it opens, with projections of more than 3,000 calls a year in their response area!
Hope to see you at a summer carnival!
