Next Generation Farmland Acquisition Program (Next Gen)
The Next Generation Farmland Acquisition Program helps Maryland’s beginning farmers buy and permanently preserve farmland through conservation easement financing from MARBIDCO.
Funder: Maryland Agricultural and Resource Based-Industry Development Corporation
Due Dates: August 31, 2026 (Monthly, last business day; 4:00 p.m. deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to 51% of land's fair market value (max $500,000); award is for land purchase, with repayment after easement sale.
Summary: Supports beginning farmers in Maryland to acquire and permanently preserve farmland through conservation easement financing.
Description
The Next Generation Farmland Acquisition Program (Next Gen) is a Maryland state initiative designed to help young or beginning farmers overcome barriers to farmland ownership, such as high land prices and limited access to capital. Administered by the Maryland Agricultural and Resource Based-Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO), the program provides up to 51% of the fair market value of qualifying farmland (capped at $500,000) as a down payment, in exchange for a conservation easement to ensure permanent agricultural use. This unique approach helps facilitate the transfer of farmland to a new generation, while preserving Maryland’s working agricultural landscape.
The program is structured so that after purchase, the new farmer must sell a permanent easement to a rural land preservation program, at which point the original MARBIDCO funding (plus a 3% administrative fee) is repaid. If the easement cannot be sold within the specified timeframe, a third-party default easement holder (county or land trust) will step in to ensure preservation.
