Louisiana Startup Wins $100K in Ag Innovation Challenge
By Allie Doise-Shipley
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Louisiana-based startup company, FarmMind has been named the winner of The Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge and will be leaving the 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention with $100,000 in startup funds.
FarmMind is an AI-powered platform that brings agricultural workflows together in one place, including field notes, GIS management, regulatory compliance, financial tracking and real-time agronomic insights.
The Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge is a national business competition that showcases U.S. startups developing innovative solutions that address challenges facing America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities.
"I'm so proud of these guys and their accomplishments,' said Louisiana Farm Bureau President Richard Fontenot. "What they're doing is really cutting edge and shows what can happen when brilliant minds, Farm Bureau and LSU all come together."
“Innovation isn’t just an option, it’s the path forward for agriculture in today’s fast-changing world,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “The entrepreneurs we’re celebrating today are driving the future of agriculture by creating innovative solutions to the challenges farmers and ranchers face.”
“Our food security is our national security,” said Colin Raby, Louisiana Farm Bureau member and FarmMind CEO. "Realizing that this industry had been underserved by a lot of modern software really excited me. We want to take the complexities of this industry and make it as easy as possible for growers and agricultural consultants to find the most efficient and effective path forward.”
FarmMind received a total of $100,000 to grow the business. Raby said he plans to use the money to expand their full-time team and marketing initiatives.
"I was proud to see the American flag behind us on the stage because we're proud to be an American company,” Raby said. “We know there are others outside the U.S. working on similar technology, but it means a lot to me that we're doing this in America."
The company was one of four final teams that competed in Anaheim after being selected from a field of 10 semi-finalists teams that participated in a virtual pitch round in September with three judges representing various sectors of the agricultural supply chain.
The Ag Innovation Challenge winner and runner-up were selected by a three-person judging panel: Mark McHargue, president, Nebraska Farm Bureau; Joe Waddell, director of market innovation, Horizon Farm Credit; and Frank Wong, director of stakeholder relations, Bayer.
To learn more about FarmMind, visit https://farmmind.org/.
To learn more about the Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge, visit https://www.fb.org/initiative/ag-innovation-challenge.