The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, is now accepting online applications for the 2027 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. The deadline to apply is June 5.

Now in its 13th year, this national business competition highlights U.S. startup companies that are creating innovative solutions to challenges facing America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

The overall winner will receive $100,000 in startup funds, the runner-up will be awarded $25,000, and the two additional businesses that advance to the final four will each receive $10,000.“Encouraging innovation is essential to keeping American agriculture strong,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “If you’re building a business that can help farmers and rural communities thrive, don’t wait—apply today.”

Across the competition, Farm Bureau will award a total of $145,000 in startup funds. After applications close on June 5, 10 semi-finalist teams will be selected and announced on September 2. Those teams will then deliver virtual pitches to compete for a spot in the final four.

The final four teams will each receive $10,000 and advance to a live pitch competition in front of Farm Bureau members, investors, and industry leaders at the AFBF Convention in January 2027 in Charlotte, North Carolina. There, they will compete for:

  • Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge Winner: $90,000 additional (for a total of $100,000)
  • Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge Runner-up: $15,000 additional (for a total of $25,000)

Farm Bureau is proud to support these innovative businesses in partnership with sponsors Farm Credit, Bayer, John Deere, Farm Bureau Bank, Farm Bureau Financial Services, ClearPath, and T-Mobile.

Recent winners include FarmMind (2026), which unifies farm workflows from GIS to compliance and agronomic insights, and Gripp (2025), which offers an operator-focused tool for asset tracking and team communication.

Arizona Farm Bureau also celebrated success in the competition. In 2018, Tucson-based Merchant’s Garden AgroTech, led by Arizona Farm Bureau member Chaz Shelton, earned a spot as one of the national top 10 semi-finalists, receiving $10,000 and valuable national recognition that helped advance the company’s innovative urban aquaponics approach to year-round, low-cost food production.

Additional examples of successful Ag Innovation Challenge participants, along with detailed eligibility guidelines and the full competition timeline, are available at fb.org/challenge.

To qualify as one of the top 10 semi-finalists, entrepreneurs must be members of a county or parish Farm Bureau in their state of residence. Those who are not currently members can learn how to join at https://www.fb.org/about/get-involved.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 5.