Category: State Agencies

  $30,000 in grants is being distributed by the Maryland Horse Industry Board (an ag commodity board housed at the Maryland Department of Agriculture) for 23 projects ranging from training to help animal control workers in equine welfare cases, enhance facilities for inner city children to learn about horses and horsemanship, and restore historic Maryland horse racing films from the 1920s that have never been seen by the public.  Nearly half of this year’s grantees received funding for projects related to 4-H, Pony Club and therapeutic horsemanship programs. (Scroll down to see who is getting a grant.) Funding for these grants and the Maryland Horse Industry Board is provided by the Maryland Feed Fund, which collects $6 on every ton of horse feed sold in the state. The funding is collected through the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Weights & Measures Section (these are the folks that make sure that when you purchase a gallon of milk or gas is a true gallon, or that 50 lb bag of horse feed is 50 pounds). Projects are evaluated based on their value to the industry, degree of industry promotion, size and scope of activity, financial need, potential for matching funds, and overall quality of the written presentation. Grants are capped at $3,000 in order to award funds to as many groups as possible. Grant recipients are required to file a project report...