Hivelend Advances to Final Four of Ag Innovation Challenge

Hivelend Advances to Final Four of Ag Innovation Challenge

January 18, 2020 – The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, announced the Final Four teams advancing in the 2020 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. Baltimore-based company HiveLend will compete on Sunday, Jan. 19 in a live-pitch competition for Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year and People’s Choice Award.

“After watching all the amazing competitors yesterday, I am humbled to get to move forward,” says Dawn Music, co-founder of Hivelend. “The Ag Innovation Challenge has provided the incredible opportunity to learn from other teams about so many critical and niche areas in agriculture that entrepreneurs are addressing.”

 

HiveLend was founded by Musil and Nick Zajciw to make connections between beekeepers and farmers simple and convenient. The company aims to promote conscious sustainable agriculture, improve crop yields and reduce travel times, decrease paperwork by simplifying the process, and help facilitate the sale of hive products for beekeepers.

 

The Ag Innovation Challenge provides an opportunity for individuals to showcase ideas and business innovations in agriculture. This is the sixth year of the Challenge, which was the first national business competition focused exclusively on rural entrepreneurs launching food and agriculture businesses.

 

Other Final Four teams include:

 

·         HydroSide Systems LLC, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

·         Innovative Agricultural Technologies, LLC, Carthage, North Carolina

·         Rantizo, Iowa City, Iowa

 

The winner of the Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneur of the Year award will receive a total of $30,000 for their business. The People’s Choice Award winner, chosen by public vote, will receive a total of $25,000.

 

Farm Bureau would not be able to recognize and support these rural businesses without generous funding provided by sponsors Farm Credit, Bayer Crop Science, John Deere, Country Financial, Farm Bureau Financial Services and Farm Bureau Bank.

 

To learn more about the Challenge visit www.fb.org/challenge.

Contacts:
Emily Solis
esolis@mdfarmbureau.com