Iowa's second company selected as one of 10 semifinalists in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Ag Innovation Challenge, ChopLocal, is primed to present its vision at the annual convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico Jan. 6-11, 2023.

“The AFBF convention is a great opportunity for us to meet directly with stakeholders across the country, and we’re eager to let them know how ChopLocal can help livestock farmers and small meat processors increase their sales,” said Katie Olthoff, chief operating officer and co-founder. “We’re also looking forward to the specific training opportunities for the Ag Innovation Challenge finalists, which will be incredibly helpful as we grow our business.

ChopLocal joins ReEnvision Ag as Iowa’s semifinalists. Like ReEnvision Ag, ChopLocal was awarded $10,000 as a semifinalist and will vie for the $35,000 grand prize in January.

Founded in 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak, ChopLocal’s platform is an online farmers market specifically for meat. There are more than 40 livestock farms and butcher shops who sell meat direct-to-consumer, who each have their own store at ChopLocal.com.

“The platform provides an easy way for customers to order from these vendors and helps vendors with marketing,” Olthoff explained.

She said the company is honored and excited to be selected as a semifinalist. “The previous winners and this year’s finalists are all great companies, and it’s very exciting to be among their ranks,” she said. “We appreciate the support and recognition from Farm Bureau and its members and look forward to competing at the national convention.”