FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Ag Ventures Alliance Announces 2026 Discovery Trial Winners, Advancing Farmer-Driven Innovation
Ag Ventures Alliance Announces 2026 Discovery Trial Winners, Advancing Farmer-Driven Innovation
Clear Lake, Iowa — March 2026— Ag Ventures Alliance (AgVA) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2026 Discovery Trials program, a farmer-led initiative designed to test new ideas, generate practical insights, and accelerate innovation under real-world farm conditions.
This year’s Discovery Trials attracted a highly competitive and geographically diverse group of applicants, spanning from New York to California and Idaho to eastern Tennessee. The strength of the applicant pool reflects a broader shift in agriculture — one where farmers are not only adopting innovation, but actively leading it.
Primary Discovery Trial Winner
Ag Ventures Alliance has selected Robby Jewell with Jewell Enterprizes as the 2026 Discovery Trial award recipient. His proposal stood out for its strong experimental design, clearly defined objectives, and potential to generate meaningful, scalable insights for farmers.
Jewell’s work reflects the core purpose of Discovery Trials: testing ideas in real-world conditions to better understand their impact on agronomic performance, profitability, and system resilience.
AgVA Foundation Bonus Award
In addition to the primary award, a second Discovery Trial has been funded through the AgVA Foundation and awarded to the Rodale Institute Iowa.
Rodale Institute’s participation represents a valuable connection between research and on-farm application, combining scientific rigor with practical, field-level relevance. This collaboration highlights the importance of partnerships between farmer-led networks and research organizations in advancing regenerative and systems-based agriculture.
A Growing Movement in Farmer-Led Innovation
Several key themes emerged across this year’s applicant pool:
- A shift toward systems-level thinking, integrating soil health, biology, equipment, and livestock
- Increased focus on measurable, on-farm experimentation
- A willingness to test high-variance, high-upside ideas in real-world conditions
“These ideas are being tested where it matters most — in the field, by farmers managing real risk,” said Ag Ventures Alliance leadership. “That’s what makes this work so valuable.”
About Discovery Trials
The Ag Ventures Alliance Discovery Trials program is designed to:
- Identify early-stage, high-potential ideas
- Support farmer-led experimentation
- Generate practical, shareable insights
- Accelerate the adoption of new systems and technologies
Unlike traditional research models, Discovery Trials emphasize speed, iteration, and real-world validation — ensuring that ideas are tested under the conditions where they will ultimately be used.
Looking Ahead
Ag Ventures Alliance will continue to expand the Discovery Trials platform, working alongside farmers, startups, and research partners to build a pipeline of innovation grounded in practicality and driven by those closest to the land.
Updates and insights from the 2026 Discovery Trials cohort will be shared throughout the growing season.
About Ag Ventures Alliance
Ag Ventures Alliance is a farmer-owned cooperative that invests in and supports early-stage agricultural innovation. Through its network of farmers, entrepreneurs, and partners, AgVA works to advance practical solutions that improve farm profitability, sustainability, and long-term resilience.
For additional information or media inquiries, please contact
Ag Ventures Alliance
Loran Steinlage-Farm Trial & Member Success Specialist
Loran@AgVenturesAlliance.com
(641) 424-2368
www.AgVenturesAlliance.com