Baldridge nominated as Ohio Department of Agriculture director
Gov. Mike DeWine announced he will nominate Brian Baldridge of Winchester to be the next director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Read MoreThe American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, has opened online applications for the 2020 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. In its sixth year, the Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge is a national business competition for U.S. food and agriculture startups. Entrepreneurs will compete for $145,000 in startup funds.
Launched in 2015 as the first national competition focused exclusively on rural entrepreneurs, the competition provides an opportunity for U.S. startups to showcase business innovations in food and agriculture. Startup funds for the challenge are provided by sponsors Farm Credit, John Deere, Bayer Crop Science, Farm Bureau Bank, Country Financial and Farm Bureau Financial Services.
To apply for the 2020 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge, competitors can apply online by Oct. 14, 2019 at midnight.
“It takes faith, courage and creativity to start a business,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Rural entrepreneurs face a number of additional challenges compared to their urban counterparts. These include limited access to broadband, high transportation costs and a lack of access to business networks. We’re very interested to see how entrepreneurs working in food and agriculture will use startup funds provided by the Challenge to take their businesses to the next level.”
Ten semi-finalist teams will be announced Nov. 5 and awarded $10,000 each. All 10 semi-finalist teams will travel to AFBF’s Annual Convention, in Austin, Texas, in January 2020, with all expenses paid, to compete in a live competition to be the Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year. The 10 teams will compete in Austin to advance to the final round where four teams will receive an additional $5,000 and compete live on stage in front of Farm Bureau members, investors and industry representatives.
The final four teams will compete to win:
Entrepreneurs and startups with businesses in the following categories are encouraged to apply:
Entrepreneurs must be Farm Bureau members to qualify as a top-10 semi-finalist. Applicants who are not Farm Bureau members can join Ohio Farm Bureau. Detailed eligibility guidelines, the competition timeline, videos and profiles of past Challenge winners are available.
Photo caption: Steven Brockshus, founder of FarmlandFinder and 2019 Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year, competing live at the 2019 AFBF Annual Convention. Photo credit: American Farm Bureau Federation
Gov. Mike DeWine announced he will nominate Brian Baldridge of Winchester to be the next director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Read MoreThe issues we brought to the table were substantive policy, based on experiences that we have had in Ohio. ~ Brandon Kern
Read MoreLeah Hetrick of Columbus, Ohio, has been named director of legal education and member engagement for Ohio Farm Bureau.
Read MoreThe Beginning Farmer Tax Credit is available to those who’ve recently entered the field, as well as those who help beginning farmers.
Read MoreThrough 14 scholarship funds, nearly 50 awards will be made to deserving students. The deadline to apply online is March 31.
Read MoreInternational Food Solutions is receiving a grant to help redevelop and expand a vacant building in Cleveland into a plant with the capacity to process 60 million pounds of poultry.
Read MoreOhio Farm Bureau Young Agricultural Professional Stacie Anderson of Wood County is the winner of the 2023 American Farm Bureau Excellence in Agriculture Award.
Read MoreOhio Farm Bureau Young Agricultural Professional Mike Hannelwald of Lucas County is the winner of the 2023 American Farm Bureau Discussion Meet.
Read MoreIn his online search for information related to a career in food science, Jayden Porter found Ohio Farm Bureau’s ExploreAg program.
Read MoreFollow the action as it’s happening in Puerto Rico on Ohio Farm Bureau social media channels: Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, using #AFBF23.
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