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!
