NourishMD Providing Grants to Cambridge Businesses

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(CAMBRIDGE, Md) – A first time program is lending a hand to growers and grocers across Maryland.

Grocery stores and farms across the state of Maryland are getting a help from the state as part of the first ever NourishMD grant awards, from using money that will go towards fighting food insecurity to helping repair historical stores.

Stores like the historic Simmons Center Market in Downtown Cambridge that’s been running in the same building since 1937.

And current owner, Ricky Travers says nearly $150,000 will go towards needed upgrades.

Ricky tells WMDT, “We’re looking to put a roof on. A roof has not been replaced since probably 1947. We’re looking to do new windows. So they’re energy efficient. Try to cut back on our energy costs. And we’re possibly looking at air conditioning to.”

Others like Emily’s Produce are using their funding of $74,000 for equipment to help expand programs they’ve been using to serve the community for decades.

Emily’s Produce owner, Kelly Jackson says, “Getting equipment to use those services. It’s very instrumental in us being able to continue this this multi-generational approach to Emily’s Produce.”

Like other recipients across Maryland, the grants are giving these Dorchester businesses a little breathing room.

“In today’s economy, we just don’t have the margins to do these big renovations like this. So it’s a it’s a huge grant.,” says Ricky.

While Kelly tells us, “Any way that we can create a program or an opportunity to deliver our fresh food that we grow here on the farm, that’s it’s a win-win for us.”