CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The 3rd annual West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) Veterans & Heroes to Agriculture Pitch Competition takes place Saturday, March 15, noon-4 p.m., at Cedar Lakes Conference Center, in Ripley. Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt urges the agriculture and business communities to come cheer on the seven finalists and get inspired by the work they’re doing to expand their agribusinesses. The competition aims to help Veterans & Heros to Agriculture members develop business plans and awards funding for capital investments. The finalists will share $60,000 in prize money.
The Pitch Competition includes networking time with WVDA staff and other business assistance organizations. Commissioner Leonhardt hopes to see a big turnout for this year’s event, which is open to the public.
“These farmers and agribusiness owners often start out with nothing more than a few acres and a desire to succeed,” says Veterans & Heroes to Agriculture Program Manager Sierra Cox. “The Pitch Competition gives them the chance to earn funding that goes right back into growing their farm.”
The first round of competition involves the Vets and Heroes to Ag members completing an application describing their operation and the plans they have for that business. From there, the seven finalists work with a “pitch coach,” with the WVU Launch Lab, to polish their presentation. On March 15, they present their pitch, “Shark Tank”-style, in front of the judges, at Cedar Lakes. In just five minutes, they explain what their business is, how they plan to grow it, how much money they need, and how they plan to use that funding.
This year’s finalists include:
Freedom Farm
Sky Gwinn (Fayette County)
Project: Expand natural syrup operations to include black walnut syrup
3B Farms
Mark Stewart (Barbour County)
Project: Install fencing to expand fruit production
Trillium Family Farm
Elizabeth Hernandez (Kanawha County)
Project: Purchase UTV with snowplow to extend agritourism season
Harvest Trails Co.
Coleman Erwin (Berkeley County)
Project: Expand into a retail location for locally produced items
Mal’s Fresh Produce
Mallory Moholt
Project: Open a roadside produce stand in Fairmont, WV
Grandma T’s Christmas Trees
Allison Campbell (Jackson County)
Project: Purchase a tiny cabin for on-farm agritourism stays
WV Honey Mountain Farm LLC
Aaron Garrison (Taylor County)
Project: Expand operation to include providing quality genetic queen bees
If you have questions or would like to sign up for the Veterans and Heroes to Agriculture program, call 304-558-2210 or vetstoag@wvda.us.
