Harford County farm supply business gets $1 million from state of MD

WHITE HALL, Md. — A Harford County farm-supply company is getting $1 million from the state to build a major fertilizer plant.

The Mill of Black Horse, in the White Hall area, expects to serve more than 1,000 local farmers by building a plant that uses “climate-smart technologies” to produce “precision blended fertilizers,” according to a press release from Gov. Wes Moore’s office.

The fertilizer plant would take up 16,000 square feet.

The $1 million grant was among 11 grants from the state’s Department of Commerce that are meant to support innovation infrastructure, called the Build Our Future Grant Pilot Program.

The Mill of Black Horse is part of The Mill chain of local garden centers. The family-owned business has seven locations, including one in Pennsylvania.

Department of Commerce Secretary Kevin Andersen said in a statement that the grants are “a bold new way to accelerate growth in the innovative sectors where Maryland is poised to lead and dominate. These grants will support innovation and spur economic growth across Maryland and help make sure we’re competitive in these key industries.”

Other grants given to Baltimore-area organizations include:

• $1 million to CraniUS in Baltimore City for a lab to test implantable medical devices
• $1.25 million to Johns Hopkins University Remington Energy Accelerator Labs in Baltimore City to equip an Energy/Tech Infrastructure Hub that will focus on innovations in energyj
• $1 million to Quantum Space (location to be determined) to build Maryland’s first spacecraft manufacturing/testing facility
• $996,120 to Saft America in Cockeysville to install automated equipment to produce lithium-ion cell batteries in a “dry room” environment
• $500,000 to Early Charm Ventures to turn Aberdeen’s HEAT Center into an innovation center featuring wet labs, safety features and instrumentation for the materials industry
• $935,680 to Maryland Association of Community Colleges to buy eight cybersecurity testing facilities (called “cyber ranges”) for the state’s 16 community colleges