AgWired

AccuGrain of Rose Hill, Iowa was named the Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year, announced at AFBF’s 97th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show on Monday.

The AccuGrain team, led by founder Ryan Augustine, received a total of $30,000 in prize money to implement his business idea, which is X-ray technology to inventory flowing grain in real time. “This is really something that I saw on our family’s farm,” said Augustine. “When I was at Iowa State University, I came across a technology that was really a good fit for the idea that I had.”

Augustine says he is excited to be able now to enter the commercial market with his technology and appreciates the experience of competing in the Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge. “It’s been really good for us because it’s made us focus on the individual parts of our business and what we need to do to be successful,” he said. “The cash prize is great but more than that it’s confirmation that what we’re doing is a good thing and people want it.”

Listen to my interview with Ryan here: Interview with Rural Entrepreneur of the Year

Another of the Final Four – Farm Specific Technology of Tennessee – won the People’s Choice award in the competition and an additional $10,000 in prize money for a no-till crimper for cover crop production. Members of the live audience at the finals competition and members of the general public voted online to select the People’s Choice winner. Tennessee residents cast the most votes (1,229) followed by Iowa (1,068) and Kansas (205). Farm Specific received almost half of the votes cast!

2016 AFBF Convention photos

You have until 9:00 am Eastern time to vote for the top Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneur.

The Final Four gave their presentations on Sunday at the AFBF convention and then came to the media room to tell reporters about their innovations. The challenge, now in its second year, provides opportunities for individuals to showcase business innovations being developed in rural regions of the U.S. It is the first national business competition focused exclusively on rural entrepreneurs working on food and agriculture businesses. So, it’s kind of like “Shark Tank” for rural innovators. The final winner will be announced today at 11:00 am.

Learn more about the finalists by clicking the links and click here to vote.

AgriSync – Casey Niemann & Jerrod Westfahl
Farm Specific Technology – ​Shawn Butler & Austin Scott Boliva
AccuGrain – Ryan Augustine & Steven Brockshus
Fedora Malthouse – Julie Baker & John Enderle

Listen to each team give a brief explanation of their innovation here: Final Four FB Rural Entrepreneurs

2016 AFBF Convention photos

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam welcomed the 97th annual American Farm Bureau Convention to his state on Sunday.

“It’s a poor frog that won’t croak in his own pond so I want to tell you a little bit about Florida,” he said. “Agriculture in Florida is $120 billion a year industry. We produce 300 different commodities from seafood to citrus.”

Putnam talked about the importance of the American farmer and the need to stand strong against government over regulation. “In doing so, we’ve got to stand together as one industry, and that’s the strength of American Farm Bureau,” said Putnam.

Listen to Putnam’s remarks here: FL ag commissioner welcomes AFBF

2016 AFBF Convention photos

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) president Bob Stallman held his final press conference as president of the nation’s largest general farm organization on Sunday. “You will get to do the closing press conference with a new face up here,” he said. Four candidates are vying for the title and the new president will be elected on Tuesday.

Stallman addressed several issues before members of the ag media, including cottonseed designation as an oilseed, the Trans Pacific Partnership, GMO labeling and more. Asked what was most gratifying to him as president of AFBF for 16 years, Stallman facetiously said, “That I survived.” But seriously, he said it was most gratifying to “engage with, become friends with, all of the farmers and ranchers across the country and have the opportunity to represent their interests.”

Listen to Stallman’s press conference here: Bob Stallman final press conference

2016 AFBF Convention photos