{"id":29550,"date":"2026-01-29T08:33:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/?p=29550"},"modified":"2026-01-29T08:33:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:33:11","slug":"national-park-service-awards-100000-to-the-state-of-maryland-for-agritrails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/press-release\/2026\/01\/29\/national-park-service-awards-100000-to-the-state-of-maryland-for-agritrails\/","title":{"rendered":"National Park Service Awards $100,000 to the\u00a0State of Maryland for AgriTrails"},"content":{"rendered":"

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National Park Service Awards $100,000 to the\u00a0<\/b>State of Maryland for AgriTrails<\/b><\/p>\n

Maryland\u2019s Best AgriTrails highlights Maryland food along with outdoor recreation<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

ANNAPOLIS, MD<\/b> (January 29, 2026) <\/b>\u2013 The <\/span>Maryland Department of Agriculture<\/b> and the <\/span>Maryland Department of Natural Resources<\/b> were recently awarded $100,000 of grant funding by the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways to support AgriTrails, highlighting Maryland\u2019s agricultural and natural resources. The initiative will connect Maryland agriculture and aquaculture businesses with outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands and State Parks to increase awareness, appreciation, and economic vitality across Maryland\u2019s Chesapeake Bay Gateway communities. The collaboration will guide Marylanders and visitors on an adventure of \u201cMaryland Grown Food and Fun.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThrough the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways grant, we have the opportunity to showcase Maryland\u2019s agricultural resources, while also highlighting Maryland\u2019s outdoor recreation,\u201d said Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks. \u201cSip & Shuck is an example of a marketing campaign that shines a light on Maryland’s rich agricultural products.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The State of Maryland plays a vital role in protecting its natural resources, supporting local agriculture and aquaculture, and expanding equitable access to nature. With over half of the Chesapeake Bay located within Maryland\u2019s borders, numerous working waterfronts and communities are dependent on Bay resources. Maryland has over 280 dairy farms, 475 commercial shellfish operations, 800 licensed oyster harvesters, and 500,000 acres of public land.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Maryland, oysters aren\u2019t just food, they\u2019re part of our culture, our economy, and our environment,\u201d said Sandi Olek, Director of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources\u2019 Office of Outdoor Recreation. Maryland\u2019s outdoor experiences are just as distinctive as our local flavors. Sip & Shuck brings that story to life by pairing Maryland-grown food with outdoor adventures, helping people experience how the Chesapeake Bay, local farms, and our state\u2019s beautiful recreation spaces are all connected.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways (NPS Chesapeake Gateways) offers competitive grant opportunities to advance the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 within the full 41-million-acre Chesapeake Bay watershed. Chesapeake Gateways grants inspire and help people discover, experience, and connect with Chesapeake Places and Experiences across its rivers, landscapes, and communities to enhance stewardship, heritage, and outdoor tourism economies throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.<\/span>
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Through this grant, AgriTrails will link agricultural tourism with outdoor recreation to increase public engagement, support agribusinesses, encourage Bay-friendly consumer practices, and foster a greater understanding of Maryland\u2019s natural, cultural, and agricultural heritage. The initiative will showcase Maryland\u2019s outdoor landscapes while connecting residents and visitors with local farms and producers.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2026, the partnership will offer three Maryland AgriTrails to explore: Sip & Shuck (February-March), Maryland\u2019s Best Ice Cream Trail (Memorial Day-Labor Day), and Bikes & Brews (September-November). Interested participants can use the online platform Bandwango, accessible through <\/span>Maryland\u2019s Best website<\/span><\/a>, to learn more about the trails and check in at the designated locations for a chance to win prizes. The first trail to launch, Sip & Shuck, begins February 1 and pairs breweries, restaurants, and distilleries that use local Maryland oysters and ingredients with nearby outdoor recreation activities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For more details, head to marylandsbest.net\/agritrails.<\/span><\/p>\n

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About Maryland Department of Agriculture:<\/i><\/b> The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is a unit of the Maryland State government formed in 1972 to represent agriculture’s growing importance and impact to the economy of the state. MDA programs are a combination of regulatory, consumer-facing, and educational or promotional in scope. All are intended to provide the maximum protection possible for the consumer, protect the environment, and promote the economic well-being of farmers, food and fiber processors, and businesses engaged in agricultural-related operations. For more information: <\/span><\/i>mda.maryland.gov<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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About Maryland Department of Natural Resources: <\/i><\/b>The Maryland Department of Natural Resources leads the state toward a resilient future by using data, partnerships, and an innovative spirit to improve ecological, social, and economic outcomes for all communities. Learn more about the Maryland Department of Natural Resources at <\/span><\/i>dnr.maryland.gov<\/span><\/i><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

About National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways:<\/i><\/b> Established by Congress in 1998, Chesapeake Gateways is a partnership network and community assistance program coordinated by the National Park Service. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, the program serves the full 41-million-acre Chesapeake Bay watershed, supporting and promoting authentic Chesapeake experiences for local communities and visitors. Visit us at <\/span><\/i>www.nps.gov\/Chesapaeake, on Facebook www.facebook.com\/ChesapeakeNPS, and Instagram www.Instagram.com\/ChesapeakeNPS.\u00a0 <\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

National Park Service Awards $100,000 to the\u00a0State of Maryland for AgriTrails Maryland\u2019s Best AgriTrails highlights Maryland food along with outdoor recreation ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 29, 2026) \u2013 The Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources were recently awarded $100,000 of grant funding by the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways to support  Read the Rest…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":251,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[403,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mda-newsroom","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/251"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29550"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29550\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29552,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29550\/revisions\/29552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}