Vertical Harvest Hydroponics of Alaska is the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year. Team leads Linda Janes and Dan Perpich won AFBF’s Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge by beating three other teams from across the nation.

Janes and Perpich took home a total of $30,000 in prize money, including $15,000 from sponsor Farm Bureau Bank to produce hydroponic vegetables housed in 40 foot insulated shipping containers.

The four finalists each received $15,000 in October for advancing in the competition.

Levrack of Nebraska won the People’s Choice award with 73% of the vote. The award earned Levrack an additional $10,000 in prize money. Levrack produces efficient storage systems for farm shops. Members of the live audience at the finals competition and members of the general public voted online to select the People’s Choice winner. Ryan Stauffer, Austin Stauffer and Peter Miller were team leads for Levrack.

Windcall Manufacturing of Nebraska, led by Martin Bremmer, and Grow Bioplastics of Tennessee, led by Tony Bova, were the other two finalists who competed in the final round of the challenge in Phoenix.

The final four teams competed for the award by pitching their business ideas to a panel of judges before a live audience. The finalist businesses were chosen from 356 applicants.

The challenge, now in its third 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. The top challenge teams were selected by 40 judges with expertise in business development, equity investment funding management, agribusiness lending and entrepreneurial coaching.

Semi-finalists in the competition were awarded $10,000 each in October, thanks to the sponsorship of Farm Credit Council. They are: Demeter Inc., Irwin, Ohio; Farmzie, Raleigh, North Carolina; Gardens 4 Education, Hanford, California; Inland Sea Company LLC, Ames, Iowa; Lowcountry Street Grocery, Charleston, South Carolina; and Performance Livestock Analytics Inc., Osage, Iowa.

“Entrepreneurs – whether on the farm or in the community – are the lifeblood of the rural economy,” said Todd Van Hoose, CEO, Farm Credit Council. “That’s why we’re excited to partner again with the Farm Bureau for the third annual Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge. This competition recognizes and awards the best and brightest start-ups focused on supporting rural communities and agriculture. We look forward to following the progress of these talented individuals and wish them the best.”

The top 10 challenge teams were selected by 15 judges with expertise in business development, agribusiness lending and entrepreneurial coaching.

Source: AFBF