The Challenge has officially launched, and we know farmers have questions.

Trying something new on the farm is always a risk. But in today’s volatile markets and climate, change is essential to stay profitable and sustainable. Enter the Million Acre Challenge—designed with farmers, for farmers, to share costs and agronomic support in making climate-smart changes. The goal: build resilience, protect farmland, and strengthen operations for the long run.

Andrea Gal, a farmer in Oxford County and CANZA’s Director of Data & Marketplace Strategy, is helping lead the rollout. Emily Robinson, CANZA’s Manager of Program Implementation and Partnerships, is building out the program on the ground. Andrea and Emily have been closely involved in developing the Challenge—because if it doesn’t work in the real world, it won’t work at all.

On this page, you’ll find straightforward answers to common questions about how the Challenge works, what it offers, and why it matters.

What is the Million Acre Challenge?

The Challenge helps farmers (right now, farmers in Southwestern Ontario growing corn in their rotations) share the risk of trying regenerative (or sustainable) practices on their farm. 

It does this through:

• Cost-share payments to help reduce the costs associated with trying a new practice (e.g. crop inputs, custom work costs, equipment modifications).
• Agronomic support from trusted advisors such as Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) or professional agrologists (PAgs).

Emily explains it simply: “We’re bringing an opportunity that helps share some of the risk of trying a new practice on your farm. Over the duration of the challenge—six years—our goal is to impact a million acres with regenerative practices.” 

What are regenerative farming practices? 

CANZA’s use of the term “regenerative farming practices” covers those that:

• Minimize soil disturbance
• Keep soil covered year-round
• Keep plants and living roots in the soil
• Enhance biodiversity above and below the ground
• Integrate effective use of livestock grazing

Regenerative farming practices can also include efforts related to water conservation, efficient use of inputs, and enhancing/restoring natural landscapes. There is no “single recipe” for regenerative farming. It encompasses a variety of practices that farmers can adopt to improve soil health, biodiversity, climate, and water outcomes in measurable and verifiable ways. 

Why should farmers care?

Weather is more volatile, markets are unpredictable, and margins are tight. The Challenge is designed to help farms stay resilient.

“In recent years, we’ve seen big differences in yields from one farm to the next, depending on factors like who caught a rain,” says Andrea. “The Challenge is about supporting farmers in building resilience, such as increasing the water-holding capacity of their soils.”

At its core, the Challenge supports stewardship of farmers’ most valuable asset: their land.

How does the Challenge support farmers?

Participating farmers receive two key supports:

• Agronomic: They’ll work with a CCA or PAg to develop a crop plan, choose a practice that makes sense with their cropping system, and troubleshoot as they go. They’ll also be able to share and draw on each other’s knowledge through peer-to-peer learning.
• Financial: Depending on the agronomic practice they commit to, CANZA will share a set cost per acre, with the first payment released after their agreements are signed and the second after their post-harvest claim documents are approved, so the farmers are not carrying the entire cost for the season. 

“We want to share the journey with farmers — through payments, agronomic support, and a platform that streamlines opportunities,” says Emily.

Andrea adds, “Whether Ontario farmers are participating in the Challenge or not, they’ll be able to access another part of the initiative: our environmental outcomes marketplace. This digital environment will provide the opportunity to find existing industry programs their farm could qualify for, based on the crops they grow, the county they farm in, and other basic information.”

How do I participate?

We’re already recruiting our first cohort of flagship farms for the 2026 growing season. But we’ll open applications in 2026; email [email protected] with the subject line “second cohort” to join our waitlist. 

The Challenge is currently limited to Southwestern Ontario corn growers. Participating farms can register between 50 and 600 acres for up to three years. “We’ve found that the riskiest period for adopting new programs is the first three years,” shares Emily. “So, participating farmers will be able to access agronomic and cost-sharing support to de-risk qualifying practices for up to three years.”

What does “de-risking” mean in real farm terms?

Ultimately, it’s about trialing new practices with practical and financial support. 

Andrea uses the example of cover cropping to explain: “When a farmer decides to try a cover crop, there are several costs and questions at play. You have to decide which seed mix makes the most sense for your goals. Then, there’s the cost of seed, and maybe paying someone to plant it. You may have questions about when to plant, and when and how to terminate the cover crop. Through the Challenge, you’ll be able to cover some of those costs and consult a CCA to determine the best cover cropping strategy for your operation.”

“With farmers, for farmers”: What does that mean?

A program only works if people participate. And farmers aren’t going to participate if a program isn’t practical and doesn’t integrate into their current practices.

“We spoke with several Ontario farmers and stakeholders in the research phase,” shares Emily. “They told us it was hard to work with prescriptive programs. What works for one farm—or even one field—can be totally different from the next. We decided to take a more flexible menu approach, and allowed for consultation on the final list of practices so that farmers at different stages in their regenerative journey can access support from CANZA.”

Why Ontario farmers?

What works for farmers in one region, or with a specific crop rotation, won’t necessarily work for others. With Southwestern Ontario corn growers, we’re able to focus on a specific group and co-build a menu of regenerative practices that will move the needle in the region. 

As CANZA looks to expand programming in other regions in the future, farmers there will play the same role in shaping what makes sense for their crops and growing conditions.  

What opportunity does the Challenge create?

The Challenge will support a more resilient Ontario corn belt. While participating farmers can register a maximum of 600 acres, it’s reasonable to expect that the practices they adopt on those fields will be expanded across their farms.

Emily described it this way: “In six or seven years, we want to see a region of corn growers who are much more resilient to changing weather because they’ve adopted practices that support long-term field health.”

Beyond that, Andrea’s Marketplace work will make it easier for farmers to access and “stack” opportunities from other initiatives—creating more options for agronomic and financial support.

One final thought…

We asked Andrea and Emily for a single reason why farmers should pay attention to the Million Acre Challenge. Here’s what they said:

“If you’ve been thinking about trying something new, the Million Acre Challenge is a way for us to share the journey—and the load—with you.” – Emily 

“We’re building the infrastructure to make it easier for farmers to identify and participate in a range of programs that could benefit their farms.” – Andrea 

Don’t miss out on your opportunity. Email  [email protected] with the subject line “second cohort” to join our waitlist for the 2027 growing season.