American Farm Bureau’s inaugural Agricultural Investment Summit featured a handful of Iowa start-ups and a tip of the cap to Renew Rural Iowa, a 10-year-old Iowa Farm Bureau program that has mentored 3,000-plus Iowans and has had more than a $125 million economic impact on rural Iowa.

“Renew Rural Iowa leads the country in providing rural entrepreneurs with education and investment,” said American Farm Bureau’s Director of Rural Development Lisa Benson. “Their work has been an inspiration and model for American Farm Bureau’s Rural Entrepreneurship Initiative.”

The summit, part of American Farm Bureau’s 98th annual convention in Phoenix, was a two-day event, providing education and investor pitching...