SWED Ag Grant Fund
The SWED Ag Grant Fund is capitalized through a partnership between Wicomico County, PNC Bank and the Maryland Agricultural & Resource Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) through MARBIDCO’s Local Government Agriculture & Resource Based Industry Project Cost Share Program.
The goal of the program is to help foster growth in Wicomico’s emerging agriculture and resource-based industries. General terms and conditions include:
- For profit existing and emerging agricultural and resource-based businesses headquartered and located in Wicomico County, Maryland
- Business must be registered and in Good Standing with State of Maryland and Wicomico County
- Any project co-funded by SWED and MARBICO should assist in some fashion Wicomico County’s farming, forestry or seafood industries (including agritourism businesses); Businesses that facilitate in the production of foodstuffs or other goods that grow in the soil or water, the packaging, processing, or marketing of such products are generally also eligible
- The applicant is required to make a financial contribution to the project of at least 50% of project cost
- All applications must be submitted by SWED to MARBIDCO. Final approval is at the sole discretion of SWED and MARBIDCO.
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'Transportation as an Economic Catalyst' was the theme at our 57th Annual Meeting held at the Wicomico County Youth & Civic Center. More than one hundred attendees networked and heard updates and strategies to drive economic growth from Tony Rudy (Director of Aviation at SBY Airport), Cliff Grunstra (Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Carload Express) and SWED Executive Director David Ryan (substituting for David Pierce of NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility due to the government shutdown). John Hickman and Ashley Panagakos of BEACON at Salisbury University provided results of an Economic Impact study of the Port of Salisbury. The study found the Port has an overall annual economic and employment impact of $225 million and 600 jobs in Wicomico County, respectively.
Early in 2025 and with funding provided by the Tri-County Council of the Lower Eastern Shore and the Rural Maryland Council, SWED engaged BEACON at Salisbury University to conduct an Economic Impact Study on the Port of Salisbury. The purpose was to highlight the importance and quantify the value of Maryland’s second largest port to our local economy. The Wicomico River and Port of Salisbury play a critical role in local supply chains, area industries, and overall economic activity. Review the Report Here.
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) cut the ribbon for the opening of its Part 147, FAA Certified Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) school at the Salisbury - Ocean City: Wicomico County Regional Airport. The program is the result of a collaborative partnership between Wicomico County, UMES, the State of Maryland and Piedmont Airlines. Piedmont and its parent company American Airlines, donated an Embraer 145 jet to the school. More than two hundred people attended the event.
