From left, Steven Fanaroff and Don Darnall (Md Food Center Authority), Maryland Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder, Howard County Councilmember Christiana Rigby, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Omar El Sawi (Edward G. Rahll and Sons) announce funding for renovations at the Maryland Wholesale Produce Market in Jessup.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball was recently joined by Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Joe Bartenfelder to announce $11 million in joint funding to support renovations to the Maryland Wholesale Produce Market, in Jessup.

Ball included $1 million for the project in his proposed fiscal 2023 budget, which was passed by the County Council, to support the redevelopment of the produce market. It was supplemented by $10 million in state funding to ensure that the facility will be updated to work toward pursue best practices.

The combined funding will help expand refrigeration capacity and allow for an enclosed expansion of the market’s back dock. The market is a key component in the food chain for the entire mid-Atlantic region, connecting local farmers, wholesale produce vendors, grocery stores, restaurants, hotels and residents in Maryland.

The market employs more than 3,000 Marylanders and housed 43 tenants. In addition, it is surrounded by hundreds more fresh food companies located within a 5-mile radius of the center, making Howard County the largest food business cluster in the state.