Agriculture Resilience Transition Facility (ARTF)
Affordable Financing for Climate-Resilient Farms
Helping farmers in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve invest in equipment and infrastructure that strengthens climate resilience, improves operational sustainability, and supports long-term farm productivity.
The Agriculture Resilience Transition Facility (ARTF) is a $200,000 loan program offered by the Montgomery County Green Bank (MCGB) to help eligible agricultural producers in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve finance climate resilience investments
Why ARTF?
Farmers across Montgomery County are facing increasing challenges from:
Drought
Flooding
Extreme Heat
Changing Growing Conditions
Rising Operating Costs
ARTF helps bridge the gap between grants and conventional agricultural credit by providing affordable financing and financing-readiness support for smaller resilience investments that may be underserved because of transaction size, specialized collateral, seasonal cash flow, or the cost of underwriting smaller loans.
Is Your Farm Eligible?
You may qualify if you:
Operate an eligible agricultural business in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve
- Have been in business continuously for at least 3 years
- Have documented experience in the applicable crop or agricultural activity
Be in good standing with the State of Maryland, maintain a business bank account, and meet MCGB credit and underwriting requirements
What Can ARTF Finance?
ARTF loans range from $5,000 to $50,000. The examples below are illustrative rather than exhaustive. Eligibility depends on the proposed equipment or improvement having a clear resilience function consistent with ARTF; the equipment category alone does not determine eligibility. Individual components costing less than $5,000 may be included as part of a larger eligible project.
Water Management & Irrigation
Drip irrigation systems; irrigation pumps, lines and controls; water-storage tanks; soil-moisture sensors. Eligible related costs may include installation, plumbing, controls, site preparation, and related construction costs
Climate-Smart Production
High tunnels, hoop houses, shade structures, frost-protection systems, and associated irrigation or climate-control equipment. Eligible related costs may include site preparation, installation, irrigation, ventilation, and related construction costs.
Soil Health & Conservation
Manure/compost spreaders; used or appropriately sized no-till/grain drills; seed drills; cover-crop and conservation equipment. Eligible soil amendments and implementation costs directly associated with the financed project may also qualify.
Energy Resilience
Solar-powered pumps and small-scale energy-resilience equipment where the ARTF-financed component fits within the $5,000–$50,000 loan range. Electrical upgrades, installation, and commissioning may also qualify.
Cold Storage & Food Preservation
Walk-in coolers, small cold-storage systems, refrigerated storage, and produce washing/packing equipment, including associated installation, electrical work, controls, and infrastructure improvements.
Farm Equipment
Small-farm or utility tractors; mower-conditioners; small-square balers; hay rakes; tedders; grain/farm wagons; compact utility equipment; and specialized resilience-related implements. Delivery, installation, commissioning, and eligible attachments directly supporting the resilience investment may qualify.
Agrivoltaics
Limited to discrete agrivoltaic components or implementation costs that independently fit within the approved ARTF loan range; full-scale agrivoltaic systems are not a core initial ARTF transaction.
Other Eligible Resilience Investments
Other resilience-related equipment or infrastructure consistent with program objectives and realistically financeable within the approved ARTF loan range may be considered.
Financing requests above $50,000 will not be automatically denied; MCGB will evaluate those opportunities separately to determine whether another MCGB product, transaction-specific approval, co-financing structure, or other financing approach is appropriate.
How It Works
Submit an Application
Complete the online application and tell us about your farm and proposed project.
Financing Readiness Support
Quantified Ventures will help you prepare a complete financing package and answer questions throughout the application process.
Independent Credit Review
MCGB independently evaluates each application based on repayment capacity, cash flow, project feasibility, collateral, guarantees, and overall credit risk. Personal guarantees from principal owners and/or credit-worthy corporate guarantees are required for ARTF loans.
Receive Financing
Approved applicants close on their loan and begin implementing their resilience investment.
Why Farmers Choose ARTF
Affordable financing
- Fixed 4% interest rate
- Quarterly repayment with transaction-specific seasonal flexibility where justified
Up to 12 months interest-only where supported by project timing, growing-season ramp-up, or another documented cash-flow rationale
Local financing partner
Financing readiness support
Simple online application
Program Highlights
Loan Amount
$5,000–$50,000
Interest Rate
4% Fixed
Loan Term
Up to 12 Months, Where Justified by Documented Cash-Flow Rationale
Interest Only
Up to 12 Months, Where Justified
Financing
Quarterly; Transaction-Specific Seasonal Flexibility Where Justified
Payments
Quarterly; Seasonal Flexibility Where Justified
Origination Fee
1% of Committed Loan Amount
- Borrower Equity
Minimum 25% of Project Cost
Program Partners
Provides loan capital and retains sole responsibility for independent underwriting, credit approval, loan documentation and closing, servicing, and portfolio management.
Supports application intake through QV Nexus, financing readiness, document collection, initial completeness and eligibility review, and preparation of a standardized Recommendation Memorandum for MCGB. QV does not approve or decline credit.
Supports farmer outreach, program awareness, agricultural stakeholder engagement, farmer education, and connections to local agricultural networks.
Frequently Asked Questions
No.
ARTF is a revolving loan program designed to provide affordable financing for resilience investments
Between $5,000 and $50,000.
A fixed 4% interest rate.
Yes.
Installation, engineering, electrical upgrades, site preparation, and other implementation costs directly related to eligible resilience investments may qualify.
Quarterly payments are the standard structure. MCGB may approve transaction-specific seasonal flexibility where justified by documented agricultural cash flow.
No.
Every application is independently underwritten by MCGB.
Yes.
Borrowers are required to contribute at least 25% of total eligible project costs.
Success Stories (Coming Soon)
We’re excited to showcase how Montgomery County farmers are using ARTF financing to strengthen their operations, improve resilience, and invest in the future of agriculture.
Stay tuned for featured projects and farmer testimonials.
Contact Our Team
Chloe Wingerter
Laura Mondragon
Senior Director, Climate Resilience & Adaptation
Montgomery County Green Bank
Email: lmondragon@mcgreenbank.org
