DES MOINES, IOWA – Governor Kim Reynolds today signed an official proclamation declaring the week of March 20 through 26, 2023, as Agriculture Innovation Week in Iowa. It also recognizes the celebration of National Ag Day on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
“Agriculture Innovation Week recognizes the critical role that agriculture plays in our state’s economy and communities, as well as the commitment to adopting new practices and technologies that will increase productivity and improve soil health and water quality,” said Gov. Reynolds. “We’re seeing strong investment from all sectors of agriculture across the state, which will continue to drive innovation and new ideas that will help Iowa’s farmers feed and fuel the world.”
The proclamation recognizes Iowa’s leadership role in agriculture and the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that drives the agriculture industry, rural communities and farm families around the state. It also recognizes the leadership of Iowa farm families in adopting new technologies and management practices to produce food, fuel and other products more efficiently and sustainably than ever before.
“Iowa is a global leader in the production of many agricultural and food products, but we are also recognized for our strong focus on innovative agricultural research,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “No other state has the seeds for success quite like Iowa. As we pursue solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges, we are blessed to have established industry leaders, a growing startup ecosystem, forward-thinking farmers, productive farmland, leading biotechnology and agribusiness companies and a world-class land grant university.”
Iowa’s agriculture industry includes global leaders in all sectors — advanced manufacturing, agricultural processing, animal health, plant sciences, predictive agriculture, renewable fuels, and more — as well as start-up companies with new technologies that will boost productivity, animal care and sustainability for farmers in Iowa and around the world.
“Developing new innovations and technologies is just the first step in meeting global challenges. Researchers, leaders and farmers from around the world come to Iowa to connect, learn, and bring new advancements to the world marketplace,” said Billi Hunt, executive director of America’s Cultivation Corridor.
About America’s Cultivation Corridor
Focused on further developing and marketing the world-renowned agricultural and bioscience economy in Iowa, America’s Cultivation Corridor is building on a rich history of innovation to accelerate value-added agriculture business development by attracting companies, talent and capital from across the globe to the state. Representing a diverse public-private coalition of stakeholders including the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Ames Chamber of Commerce, Iowa State University, nonprofits and private sector companies from across the region and state, the Cultivation Corridor is one of the nation’s foremost cluster-based economic development organizations. For more information, visit CultivationCorridor.org.
Contact
Billi Hunt, executive director
bhunt@cultivationcorridor.org
515-294-1127 or 515-480-2394
Published March 2023.