Eight semifinalists announced for annual contest highlighting Iowa agricultural entrepreneurs. 

The field of eight semifinalists announced for Iowa Farm Bureau’s annual Grow Your Future Award feature a wide variety of farm-based businesses. 

Farm Bureau members and others can weigh in to help narrow the field to three finalists through a round of online voting from Dec. 8-14 at www.iowafarmbureau.com/growyourfuture.

This year’s nominees are Bushels & Blooms Farm, 4 Roots, HB Flowers and Beef, Hightail, Little Sioux Stems, Natural Heartland Solutions, Red Boar Ridge and Schutjer Farm Stand & Pumpkin Patch.

“Grow Your Future Award (participants) constantly ask themselves, ‘What can I do differently? How can I innovate and add value to my farm?’” noted Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson, a Calhoun County farmer. “It’s inspiring to see how they achieve success and contribute to the broader community with their creativity and resilience.”

The top three vote-getters will compete in a live pitch contest at the 2026 Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Conference in January, sharing their ideas with the crowd and a panel of judges. Each of the top three finishers will receive a cash prize. This year, first place earns $10,000, second place receives $5,000 and third place will take home $2,500.

The Grow Your Future Award is part of Iowa Farm Bureau’s broader commitment to rural entrepreneurship. Through its programs, the organization has mentored nearly 4,000 business owners and contributed more than $150 million in economic impact across rural Iowa.

See brief profiles of the top eight semifinalists below.


Bushels & Blooms Farm

Rachel Irwin has diversified her family’s Wapello County row crop and cattle operation with the opening of Bushels & Blooms Farmstand, selling cut flowers, fresh produce and products from local makers.

The farmstand, which opened in spring 2024, is a tribute to Irwin’s parents, who were killed in a car accident in July 2023, honoring her mother’s love for flowers. What began as an addition to the corn, soybean, hay and cattle operation has grown into a community hub.

Irwin gathers other local farmers and makers who offer eggs, canned goods, apples and candles, just to name a few. Irwin aims to expand the stand into a farm store with an event space.


4 Roots

Sac City’s 4 Roots is seeking to expand after rapidly outgrowing its Main Street location just seven months after opening its doors. 

The family-owned business features a wide selection of local Iowa products, including beef, eggs, honey and fresh-cut flowers.

Founded by Paige Elbert and her husband in 2025, the retailer was established with a simple goal: supporting sustainable farming practices and empowering local producers. 

The store acts as a market for vendors from more than 10 counties, helping them connect directly with consumers interested in transparent, farm-to-table sourcing.


HB Flowers and Beef

Morgan Hibbs, co-owner of HB Flowers and Beef LLC in Tiffin, is pursuing a greenhouse expansion to boost the growth of her burgeoning flower business, which currently operates on 5 acres of a multigenerational family farm near Tiffin.

Hibbs, a middle school agriculture teacher, said the greenhouse would be a “game-changer,” allowing her to start seeds earlier and significantly extend the growing season, which is crucial for continuous expansion. 

The flower business, which is eight years old, sells farm-grown products primarily through a self-serve stand and services four to five weddings annually. The long-term goal for the century farm is to open a storefront to direct market both flowers and beef.


Hightail

Aiming to process 100% of her family’s milk by 2030, Natalie Paino launched Hightail, a Bremer County-based dairy company focused on providing high-quality dairy and meat products to local customers.

Paino began the value-added operation as an Iowa State University freshman in 2019. The company established Iowa’s first shipping container creamery in 2021 after receiving a grant. 

Hightail currently produces cheese curds and plans to begin bottling milk next year. Paino is seeking funding to add a self-serve storefront and loading dock to the processing facility to improve sales and logistics.


Little Sioux Stems

Drawing thousands of visitors to its Milford-area location, specialty cut-flower farm Little Sioux Stems is aiming to add a permanent building to expand its popular workshops and agritourism events.

Owner Jennifer Twaiten-Kraninger launched the Dickinson County-based business in 2022 to provide fresh, local flowers and a unique community experience. Little Sioux Stems hosts large public events, drawing up to 1,500 people for U-pick, garden tours and vendors. 

Kraninger said a building is their most significant need, allowing them to host year-round workshops and farm-to-table dinners. 


Natural Heartland Solutions

Natural Heartland Solutions, led by Iowa State University students Evan Deal and Wyatt Striet, is bringing a farmer-developed, all-organic solution to the state’s livestock producers, promising healthier barns, reduced synthetic fertilizer use and improved environmental sustainability.

The company distributes a pit puck and spray created by northwest Iowa farmers to manage hog and cattle manure. The OMRI-certified product reduces odor, foam and harmful ammonia levels in barns while enhancing the manure’s nutrient profile.


Red Boar Ridge

Red Boar Ridge Vacation Rentals is expanding its agritourism offerings by restoring an 1850s log cabin to allow guests to spin yarn, cook and participate in other period-appropriate activities.

Founder Paige McClure said she wants to create an “1850s cabin experience” on her family’s 150-year-old Worth County farm. The cabin was moved to the Northwood property in 1865 by her great-great-great-grandfather, a Norwegian immigrant.

McClure said they have found a restoration company to begin work on the structure, which currently houses historical items, including an original “flat rocker” worn down from use. The vacation rental has hosted guests since 2020.


Schutjer Farm Stand & Pumpkin Patch

Jaci and Clinton Schutjer, owners of a family-run farm stand and pumpkin patch near Woden, are seeking an investment to build an enclosed, air-conditioned facility and purchase planting equipment to meet growing community demand for “cleaner, safer farm-to-table products.”

The Schutjers, along with their two children, operate Schutjer Farm Stand & Pumpkin Patch. The business, which operates on the honor system, sells farm-fresh produce, eggs and homemade goods, while also supporting numerous local small businesses by carrying their products.

The family hopes the expansion will allow them to increase production of pumpkins and their own beef, and allow Jaci to make the venture her full-time job.


Voting is open Dec. 8-14 at www.iowafarmbureau.com/growyourfuture.