Two Ag Ventures Alliance Farmers will sit on the panel for 2020 Row Crop Challenge Panel. Where nine early stage ag tech startups focusing on row crop innovations and sustainability will pitch to the panel for a spot in Phase Two of AgLaunch.

Meet the two farmers from Ag Ventures Alliance who will sit on the panel.

Mark is from the Joice area, grew up on a family farm. He graduated from Lake Mills High School and attended Northeast Iowa Tech and has an AB degree in Farm Management.  He is married to Belinda, they have two sons, Andrew and Philip, and three granddaughters.  Mark has been a member of AgVA since 2003 serving on the board of directors, Executive, Startup, and Business Development Committee’s.  After college, Mark worked for a tiling contractor for two years before returning to the family farm. In 1981, they moved to the Forest City area to his Grandfather’s farm and ran a farrow to finish hog operation and raised corn and soybean.  In 2013, they moved back to Joice.  Their current Family Farm operation includes his two son’s Andrew and Philip. They row crop corn and soybeans, and Philip runs a wean to finish hog operation. They also do tiling and excavation work.  Mark is a member of the Lake Mills FFA Alumni.  It was very important when AgVA was organized to find ways to add value to our commodity’s in agriculture. As our industry, has changed, it is still very important to continue that vision.

Loran is from rural West Union where he lives with his wife Brenda.  They have three children, Kelli, Rolan, and Kassi.  They are the owner/operator of FLOLO farms which specialized in adapting practices and equipment to its unique location on the edge of the Driftless area.  The Steinlages are evolving to a companion/relay, no-till cropping system which is focused on cycling plants to keep a living plant in the soil at all times, to help aid in moisture management and weed suppression. This evolution has required the farm to develop custom equipment solutions and test a variety of cover crop and cash crop management practices. Loran has been known to describe his entire farm as one big test plot.  FLOLO farms is currently producing corn, soybeans, cereal rye, winter wheat, malt barley, and buckwheat. Loran recently took on a role with DAWN Equipment/Underground Ag as an Infield Practical Field Engineer.  Loran served Ag Ventures Alliance on the selection committee for the 2019 AgLaunch Row Crop Challenge. Loran became a member of Ag Ventures Alliance in 2019.