Grant Provides Support for Market on Main Greenhouse Expansion
Boone Memorial Health (BMH) has been selected as one of only 25 recipients nationwide to receive a T-Mobile Hometown Grant for the third quarter of 2025. The award will support the continued development of Market on Main, BMH’s downtown farmers market, teaching greenhouse, and community gathering space. A multitude of applications were submitted from across the country, placing Madison among an elite group of hometowns recognized for innovative, community-driven revitalization.
The $50,000 grant will fund the installation of commercial hydroponic, lighting, climate-controlled grow systems, and related equipment inside the new Market on Main greenhouse, enabling year-round food production, hands-on learning opportunities, and expanded vendor capacity for local growers.
“Market on Main is a great example of the innovation we see in small towns across America. By transforming this downtown space into a year-round hub for healthy food access, education, and local entrepreneurship, Madison is investing directly in its future,” said Joe Barbour, Rural Market Manager for West Virginia, T-Mobile. “We’re proud to support a project that strengthens community well-being, expands opportunities for local growers and families, and helps revitalize the heart of Madison’s downtown.”
“Our vision for Market on Main has always been bigger than a market or a greenhouse,” said BMH President and CEO Virgil Underwood. “This is about creating economic opportunity, educational opportunity, and opportunities for better health. When a publicly traded company with T-Mobile’s national reach believes in your vision, it validates not just the project but the community behind it. Their investment is a powerful signal that rural places like Madison deserve the same possibilities as any city in America, and we are so grateful to T-Mobile for this generous gift.”
The Market on Main initiative, led by the BMH Foundation for Community Health, has already helped spark downtown revitalization, attracting new businesses, expanding community events, and increasing foot traffic along Main Street. The upcoming greenhouse expansion builds on BMH’s efforts to address local food access, strengthen small-business development, and improve health outcomes through education and entrepreneurship.
The greenhouse is expected to open in early 2026, with programming led by BMH’s Market on Main and Population Health teams. The expansion supports key goals in BMH’s Vision 2030 Strategic Plan, which emphasizes strengthening local economies, improving food security, and improving health outcomes across southern West Virginia.
“Market on Main proves what can happen when a hospital, a city, and a community work together toward a shared future,” said BMH Market on Main Director Deanna Howell. “This grant accelerates the progress already underway and ensures we can keep building a place that inspires pride, learning, and connection.”
To select recipients, T-Mobile teams up with Main Street America, a nonprofit organization that works to advance shared prosperity, create resilient economies and improve quality of life through place-based economic development and community preservation. Grant applications are reviewed based on their level of detail, community impact, feasibility and other considerations.
A national press announcement from T-Mobile was released this morning recognizing Madison and the other communities selected this quarter. The full release is available at: https://www.t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier/t-mobile-marks-20m-in-hometown-grants-reaching-450-communities.
