Annual Report

Annual Report

The Million Acre Challenge launched in 2019 in pursuit of a bold vision: to grow one million acres of healthy soils in Maryland by 2030. We are a farmer-focused hub for networking, resources, and research to inspire and innovate towards regenerative agriculture.

 

In our first three years, we built a solid foundation with farmers, consumers, service providers, and funders to share resources and spur action. We have:

 

  • Delivered technical assistance to farmers through clinics, one-on-one consultations, and farm-specific soil health management plans written by Million Acre Challenge staff
  • Researched profitability models related to organic transition, agricultural land used for ground-mounted solar energy systems, and specialty crop production through our Business Case working group
  • Engaged 365 farmers, 1,300 non-farming participants, and nearly 43,000 acres  in soil health programming, on-farm demonstrations and peer-to-peer learning events
  • Supported 30 Maryland farmers managing 4,000+ acres in the Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Soil Health Benchmark Study, a collaborative research initiative that enables farmers to evaluate responses to operational changes and compare performance with other farms
  • Launched advanced farmer networks for graziers, specialty-crop, and grain producers
  • Hosted monthly Soil Health to Go! lunch and learns, attracting over 400 participants
  • Advocated and testified for funding, programs, and effective regenerative agriculture policy in Maryland

…and much more!

“Soil health is critical to our survival as a species.” – Bob Arnold, Arnold Farms, Chestertown, Maryland

We’d love for you to join us in supporting the advancement of soil health and regenerative agriculture on one million acres of Maryland agricultural land by 2030! Learn more about our accomplishments and our visions for the future in the Million Acre Challenge 2019-2022 Three-Year Report.

Our Partners

Staff Contacts

Elizabeth Beggins, Maryland Agriculture Outreach Specialist, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

ebeggins@cbf.org

(410) 200-8431

Lisa Garfield, Million Acre Challenge Manager, Future Harvest

lisa@futureharvest.org

(202) 716-0217