Vote Online Now for People's Choice Winner of Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Business school students, entrepreneurs and everyone with an interest in rural development are invited to vote for the People's Choice Award winner of the Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge at http://FBPeoplesChoice.questionpro.com. The team with the most votes wins $10,000 to implement their business idea.

Vote now or learn more online and make your pick after watching the live competition Jan. 10 starting at 11:00 a.m. EST: http://www.strongruralamerica.com/challenge/.

The final four teams were previously awarded $15,000 after being chosen from a field of 165 applicants by 40 judges with expertise in business development, equity investment funding management, agribusiness lending and entrepreneurial coaching. The final four are:

• AccuGrain, (Rose Hill, Iowa), ag tech entry, X-ray technology to inventory flowing grain in real time. Team lead: Ryan Augustine.
• AgriSync, (Dallas Center, Iowa), ag tech entry, mobile customer support platform for crop farmers. Team lead: Casey Niemann.
• Farm Specific Technology, (Bolivar, Tennessee), ag tech entry, no-till crimper for cover crop production. Team lead: Shawn Butler.
• Fedora Malthouse, (Village of Shepherd, Michigan), value-added processing entry, malted barley production for use by craft beer brewers. Team lead: Julie Baker.

The People's Choice winner ($10,000 prize) and Entrepreneur of the Year ($15,000 prize) will be announced Jan. 11 at the closing general session of the American Farm Bureau Federation's 97th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show at 11:30 a.m. EST. Watch the live announcement or view a recording at http://www.strongruralamerica.com/challenge/.

AFBF announced the final four national competitors in October. The challenge, now in its second 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.

About the American Farm Bureau Federation
With family members at the county or parish level in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the American Farm Bureau Federation is the unified national "Voice of Agriculture," working to enhance and strengthen the lives of rural Americans to build strong, prosperous agricultural communities. AFBF is the nation's largest and most influential grassroots organization of farm and ranch families. Follow AFBF on Twitter (@FarmBureau) and Facebook.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141119/159770LOGO

SOURCE American Farm Bureau Federation

Related Links

http://www.fb.org