News

Variety of contestants for Iowa Farm Bureau Grow Your Future Award

A pig breeder, mushroom grower, and goat farmer are among the finalists for Iowa Farm Bureau’s Grow Your Future award. 

Iowa Farm Bureau farm business development manager Amanda Van Steenwyk says the goal of the Grow Your Future award is to showcase and encourage innovation and entrepreneurship on the farm.

“It’s a process where young farmers get to apply, and then throughout the course there’s some elimination rounds. And then the grand prize is $7,500.”

Previous winners include a cricket farmer and cover crop dealer.

Speaking to Brownfield at the Iowa Farm Bureau annual meeting in Des Moines Tuesday, she says there’s a good variety of contestants this year.

“Some farmers that are doing purebred Berkshire feeder pigs, a mushroom grower, a seed conditioning operation, and then also an operation that does some goats as well.”

The Grow Your Future award will be presented this evening.