Alabama Farmers and Companies Shine at American Farm Bureau Convention
After meeting virtually last year, farmers from 50 states and Puerto Rico welcomed the opportunity to fellowship and share ideas at the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Convention in Atlanta Jan. 7-11.
At the closing session, two Alabama companies, CHONEX and Caravan Tech LLC, received $10,000 each as Top 10 finalists in the AFBF Ag Innovation Challenge. CHONEX has developed a patented process for producing organic fertilizer called StrongSoil, while recycling poultry litter.
A Birmingham-based Agribusiness Venture Selected for a Missouri-based Startup Competition.
A Birmingham-based agribusiness venture has been selected for a Missouri-based startup competition.
CHONEX, which has previously received an investment from Southern Research's Prosperity Fund, was selected by The Yield Lab to participate in the first-ever Manure Challenge.
The eight companies were among 63 applicants for Manure Challenge, a new startup competition focused on manure-management technologies and products. As part of the competition, cohort companies will receive mentorship, guidance, and networking opportunities aimed at commercializing their technology. The eight startups will compete for non-dilutive funding at a pitch contest in the first quarter of 2020.
CHONEX has been granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for a system it has developed to recycle poultry manure.
Scientists, Farmers, and Entrepreneurs Come Together to Help Farmers Build Sustainable Food Supply
A small group of scientists from diverse backgrounds has gathered together in the tiny rural community of Elsanor to work on a common goal.
“We’re taking something that God has given us and are using it to create better soil,” said Frankie Darsey, facilities development manager for Chonex.
With Prosperity Fund Help, Startup CHONEX Aims to Turn Waste Into Profit
Corey Tyree, Ph.D., Southern Research’s director of strategic growth initiatives and a co-founder of The Prosperity Fund, said CHONEX’s technology not only has commercial potential but also addresses several problems facing the agriculture industry today.
For one thing, the industry needs sustainable and more efficient methods to produce protein since most soybeans, one-third of all grains, and a large portion of caught wild seafood go to make animal feed. At the same time, egg producers need new sources of organic protein.