$100,000 Up for grabs in farm innovation challenge

Apr 12, 2024

By Farms.com

The American Farm Bureau Federation, together with Farm Credit, has announced a significant increase in the prize for the 2025 Ag Innovation Challenge, now offering $100,000 to the winner. This boost in funding is part of an effort to drive innovation within the agricultural sector.

The competition is open to all entrepreneurs who have a viable business plan, product, or service that could potentially solve some of the critical issues facing farmers, ranchers, and rural communities in the United States. The aim is to discover and support new ideas that can contribute positively to the agricultural industry, enhancing productivity, sustainability, and community well-being.

By doubling the previous prize amount, the Federation intends to attract a broader array of participants and provide more substantial support to the eventual winner, enabling them to bring their ideas to fruition. This increased financial backing underscores the importance of innovative developments in agriculture, particularly at a time when the industry faces numerous challenges from environmental pressures to changing market demands.

Entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply by June 15, with more details and application instructions available on the Federation’s official website. This initiative not only offers a significant financial incentive but also highlights the crucial role of innovation in the future of farming and rural prosperity.

With this challenge, the American Farm Bureau Federation continues to underline its commitment to advancing agriculture through creative thinking and entrepreneurship, aiming to yield long-term benefits for the agricultural community nationwide.

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

JOIN THE BARN TALK NEWSLETTER AND GET LIVE EVENT ACCESS: We're on a mission to hit 10,000 subscribers, and when we do, we're hosting a live event at the barn. Sign up for exclusive access to tickets and details.