Maryland Ministry of Agriculture, Inc.

About Maryland Ministry of Agriculture

The Maryland Ministry of Agriculture, Inc. (MD MOA) is a community-focused agricultural organization committed to strengthening food security, self-sufficiency, agricultural education, sustainable food production, preparedness, and community resilience throughout Maryland.

Our work is grounded in enduring principles of doing for self, proper nutrition, responsible land stewardship, disciplined preparation, cooperative development, community responsibility, and economic independence.

We believe communities are stronger when people possess the knowledge, skills, resources, organization, and practical ability to help meet their own essential needs.

MD MOA works with individuals, families, neighborhoods, faith communities, schools, community organizations, growers, businesses, and local partners to develop practical approaches to food production, agricultural education, preparedness, and sustainable living.

Through programs ranging from household and community growing to agricultural education, food preservation, youth engagement, PlotPro installations, and community resilience initiatives, we help people move from knowledge to practical capacity.

Our goal is not simply to provide food. Our goal is to help people develop the knowledge, infrastructure, confidence, relationships, and practical skills necessary to grow, preserve, prepare, share, and sustain resources for themselves and their communities.

We teach. We build. We grow. We share. We prepare.

BUILDING AGRICULTURAL CAPACITY WHERE PEOPLE LIVE

MD MOA occupies an important space between agriculture and everyday community life.

We help individuals, families, neighborhoods, faith communities, schools, and community organizations put agricultural knowledge into practice where they live—whether through a backyard, community growing space, school, congregation, or other available property.

At the same time, we recognize that Maryland already has farmers, growers, agricultural organizations, food-system advocates, educators, public agencies, and community institutions doing important work.

Our purpose is not to replace or duplicate those efforts.

Our role is to strengthen the household and community side of the food system—helping people develop practical agricultural capacity while connecting them with the growers, organizations, resources, and networks already working throughout Maryland.

WHERE OUR WORK TAKES PLACE

MD MOA’s work is designed to meet people where they are and help turn available resources into practical capacity.

We work across several connected settings:

• At Home — helping individuals and families grow food, develop practical agricultural skills, preserve resources, and strengthen household food security.

• In Communities — supporting neighborhood gardens, shared growing spaces, community education, preparedness, and resource awareness.

• With Faith Communities and Schools — helping institutions use land, facilities, education, and community relationships to strengthen food production and self-reliance.

• Through PlotPro — helping transform available residential and community spaces into productive growing environments through planning, installation, and agricultural support.

• Through CREMTF — connecting food security and agriculture with household preparedness, water readiness, resource mapping, community coordination, and resilience.

• Through Partnerships — working with farmers, growers, agricultural organizations, public agencies, educators, businesses, and community institutions rather than attempting to duplicate the work already being done.

FROM ACCESS TO CAPACITY

Food access is important, but long-term food security requires more than access alone.

MD MOA focuses on helping people build the knowledge, skills, infrastructure, relationships, and confidence necessary to participate more actively in their own food security and community resilience.

That means helping people move from:

1. Receiving food to Producing food

2. Knowing about resources to Knowing how to use them

3. Depending entirely on outside systems to Developing greater household and community capacity

4. Working separately to Becoming connected to growers, organizations, and local resources

Our work is designed to help communities become more productive, more prepared, more connected, and better able to respond to their own needs.

WHY AGRICULTURE MATTERS

To MD MOA, agriculture is more than food production. It is a foundation for nourishment, health, stewardship, preparedness, productive work, economic opportunity, and community stability.

When people understand how to grow food, care for land, preserve what they produce, manage resources responsibly, and work cooperatively, agriculture becomes a tool for strengthening both households and communities.

That is why MD MOA approaches agriculture not as an isolated activity, but as part of a larger effort to help people become more capable, more self-reliant, and better prepared for the future.

GROW KNOWLEDGE. BUILD CAPACITY. STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY.

Whether you want to grow food at home, develop agricultural skills, make productive use of available space, strengthen household food security, introduce young people to agriculture, or help your organization become more prepared and self-reliant, MD MOA can help identify practical next steps.

Our approach begins with understanding where you are, what resources you already have, and what capacity you want to build.