As we observe Earth Day and reflect on Iowa’s place in the world, it is important to remember that innovation has always been at the heart of our state. While agriculture is in Iowa’s blood, the agriculture technology sector has spent decades focusing on increasing productivity and profitability in food production. A third factor has recently been added to the equation: sustainability. We are now receiving the funding required to turn these innovations into products that significantly change crop and livestock production, boosting productivity and profitability for farmers while also protecting our planet.
The theme of this year’s Earth Day, “Invest in Our Planet,” reminds us that everyone has an interest in improving our use of natural resources, particularly for basic needs such as food production. PowerPollen, based in Ankeny, is an excellent example of Iowa’s success in this field. With early venture capital funding, they demonstrated that collecting and storing pollen from corn plants and then applying it at the optimal time would help growers avoid weather-related disasters, improve plant genetics, and boost productivity. The success of PowerPollen demonstrates that innovative ideas can and should be nurtured and funded to commercial success in Iowa.
BioConnect Iowa is an Iowa-focused business accelerator that includes a five-year $30 million venture capital fund and assists our state’s entrepreneurs with licencing, marketing, acquisition plans, and product development. Many companies have benefited from this, including Iowa City-based FarrPro, which is developing new technologies to improve farrowing, animal welfare, and agricultural sustainability, and Ames-based Clayton Farms, which grows pesticide-free lettuce and a variety of microgreens on farms in Iowa and Minnesota for year-round home delivery via a subscription service.
Ag Startup Engine (ASE) was founded in 2016 in Ames, Iowa, at the Iowa State University Research Park. ASE has invested $750,000 in 15 startups over three years and provides early seed-stage investment as well as organised mentorship from successful entrepreneurs. A second fund has been established with the goal of assisting 30 to 45 startups over the course of five years. Through America’s Cultivation Corridor, Iowa has also improved its ability to attract businesses, talent, and capital to the state.
Our community leaders’ strategy, which began in 2017, is bearing fruit. According to a recent report, Iowa’s investment in agricultural technology and biosciences is now keeping pace with the rest of the country and with peer states in the Midwest. However, our work is not finished. We must maintain this momentum with continued investment as well as strategies addressing fundamental challenges to Iowa’s agricultural future now more than ever.
One of the most significant challenges we face is retaining or attracting enough workers to fill available agricultural jobs. Youth participation is critical. According to the USDA’s 2021 agricultural census, the average age of Iowa farmers is 57 years, and four times as many farmers are over the age of 65 than under the age of 35. We have the opportunity to inspire young talent to stay in agriculture and ensure our leadership role in global production agriculture in the future as AG tech brings the same level of computation and engineering to the farm that is deployed in finance, medicine, and even space.
The World Food Prize The Iowa Youth Institute is an annual event that brings together young Iowans and leading experts to explore exciting ways to make a difference in Iowa and around the world. At Iowa State University, over 500 students and educators will present their solutions to end global hunger. Since 2012, over 3,000 Iowa students from more than 75% of Iowa’s high schools have participated, and Iowa State University has awarded over $250,000 in scholarships to these students.
