Applications are now open for Indiana Farm Bureau’s new grant opportunity to assist with the growth and development of women’s agriculture-related small businesses. The organization will award up to five $1,000 grants that may be used to fund training and professional development opportunities, technological enhancements or upgraded equipment for women-owned businesses in Indiana.
“In celebration of the International Year of the Woman Farmer, we wanted to help provide more opportunities for women to succeed in farming and agribusiness,” said Chelsea Poe, INFB’s executive director of education and engagement. “This initiative also aligns with one of our top priorities this year to create incentives for rural entrepreneurship and agricultural diversification. We know funding can be a huge roadblock in growing a business, so hopefully this grant will alleviate that hurdle for some.”
To be eligible, applicants must be 21 years of age or older and represent a woman-owned and agriculture-related business.
The application and more information can be found here. The deadline to apply is midnight on Aug. 15, 2026.
Winners will be recognized on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Indiana Farm Bureau’s Harvest Dinner, an event to celebrate women in agriculture. The dinner will be held at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds Bicentennial Pavilion in Noblesville, Indiana, and will provide attendees an opportunity to network. Natasha Cox, senior vice president of agricultural lending for Farm Credit Mid-America, will provide the keynote address.
Registration is required but attendance is open to anyone. The cost is $50, which includes the meal and a drink ticket. A portion of each registration fee will go toward the Janis E. Highley memorial fund through the Farm Bureau Foundation, supporting the Women’s Leadership Committee and Young Farmers & Ag Professionals at INFB. For more information and to register, visit www.infb.org/events.
CARMEL, Ind. (July 7, 2026) — SEPRO ScientificTM, formerly known as SePRO Corporation, today announced the launch of a comprehensive brand refresh that unifies the company’s Water and Land divisions under the SEPRO Scientific name. The evolution reflects the company’s continued focus on delivering customer value through science-led insights, digitally-integrated solutions, and measurable outcomes, while reinforcing its long-standing commitment to science as the foundation for solving complex environmental challenges.
This transformation builds on the company’s 30-year legacy of solving complex environmental challenges while strategically positioning it for the future of water health, land management, and digital innovation. Recent acquisitions, including Earth Science Laboratories, GreenEYES, Arietta.ai, and Resolve Hydro, reinforce the company’s evolution into an integrated platform combining digital diagnostics, AI-powered insights, and proven restoration solutions.
“For decades, SEPRO has been trusted by customers to assist in solving some of the most pressing issues in surface water management and environmental stewardship,” said Dr. Tyler Koschnick, President & CEO. “SEPRO Scientific represents a powerful evolution of that legacy and commitment. We remain a science-led organization at our core, focused on delivering efficient, sustainable solutions that directly support our customers’ goals, while making bold investments in advanced technology that enable faster, smarter decision-making and more reliable outcomes.”
The updated brand supports SEPRO’s continued commitment to research, innovation, and partnerships that protect, preserve, and restore natural ecosystems. As the company scales its digital capabilities and integrated solutions, the refreshed brand provides a strong foundation for the next chapter of impact and growth as a leader in environmental health.
“As the pace of change across our industry accelerates, we are anticipating the need for increased innovation,” said Koschnick. “This is a transformative moment for our company, and we are moving forward with the energy, vision, and ambition to create lasting value for the customers we serve. We are science-led, future-focused, and purpose-driven.”
Updates will be introduced through a phased rollout across communications and product packaging, ensuring continuity for customers while delivering a more consistent, future-focused brand experience.
Since its inception, Purdue DIAL Ventures has run six studio cycles and built an impressive portfolio of companies – including Gripp, Croft, Oaken, FIeldist and Aerton – now valued at over $30 million. This week, Executive Director Allan Gray joins us to talk the launch of their Fund II (which is now underway) and how his team’s model uniquely supports company creation.
Highlights include:
An overview of the work at Purdue DIAL Ventures and how their work improves the food system while enabling farmer success
The gap identified in the market that led to the organization’s creation
DIAL’s unique value and how they can deliver on things others cannot
How their Fund I set the tone for Allan’s team to move forward in terms of market validation and success
Fund II – it’s timeline, deployment pace and kickoff for the studio
How Allan sees Fund II comparing to the first in terms of mechanics and how they approach company creation
The relationships with partners and how they create investable and scalable innovation that serves a broader market
Milestones Allan likes to see hit in order to feel like innovation is derisked
Trends and themes Allan sees as prevalent in the next fund to meet the needs of an evolving industry
Allan’s list of hopeful outcomes for Fund II
What’s ahead
Keystone Cooperative today announced the selection of Scott Logue as the next Chief Executive Officer, a leadership transition that supports the organization’s continued evolution and long-term growth strategy. Logue will succeed Kevin Still, who is retiring on September 1 after an extraordinary 42-year career leading the cooperative and championing the success of family farms across the region.
Keystone Cooperative is one of the nation’s largest and most diversified agricultural cooperatives, serving approximately 20,000 farmer-owners across Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois. With 245 locations, nearly 2,000 employees, and core business divisions spanning energy, agronomy, grain, swine, and animal nutrition, Keystone combines the strength and scale of a regional enterprise with the local relationships and cooperative values that have supported farm families and rural communities for nearly a century.
The selection follows a rigorous and comprehensive search process led by Keystone’s Board of Directors. In partnership with an external search firm, the Board evaluated a highly qualified pool of both internal and external candidates, assessing leadership experience, strategic vision, and the ability to lead a cooperative of Keystone’s scale, complexity, and future opportunity.
“This transition represents both continuity and opportunity for Keystone,” said Bill Peters, Chairman of the Board. “As we look ahead, the Board has full confidence in Logue to carry forward Keystone’s cooperative strength while building on the values, relationships, and farmer-first commitment that have defined the organization for generations.”
Logue brings more than 29 years of cooperative leadership experience, advancing from frontline roles to executive leadership within the cooperative system. Raised on an Indiana farm and a graduate of the Ball State University Entrepreneurship Program, he served as CEO of Harvest Land Cooperative, now part of Keystone, before becoming Executive Vice President following the merger. His experience spans all facets of operations, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer, where he helped lead Keystone Cooperative’s nearly $3 billion, multi-state operation. His extensive governance experience, including leadership roles with Land O’Lakes and service on national cooperative councils, further underscores his deep understanding of cooperative strategy and farmer-member needs.
“Keystone’s future will be defined by our ability to grow with purpose, strengthen the long-term sustainability of the cooperative, and continue evolving how we serve the market as a cooperative built for the future,” said Jeremy Mills, Vice Chair of the Board. “The Board fully endorses Logue and is confident in his ability to advance that vision while honoring the legacy and relationships that have made Keystone strong.”
Logue spoke to the opportunity ahead, noting, “It is an honor to step into this role and lead such a high-performing, fiscally strong, and growth-oriented cooperative. Keystone’s strength lies in its people, its membership, and its deep commitment to the future of agriculture. I look forward to working alongside our team to continue driving innovation, supporting family farms, and ensuring long-term success for the cooperative.”
A formal introduction of Logue will take place at Keystone’s Co-op Classic, a full-day event designed to give farmers access to insights and trusted partners while allowing them to experience the Cooperative Advantage. The Co-op Classic will be held Thursday, August 20, at Keystone’s Scircleville location, located at 16 S 1100 E, Frankfort, Indiana. Logue will take the main stage at 8:15 a.m. Eastern Time. Learn more about Co-op Classic at www.keystonecoop.com/coopclassic.
At the midpoint of 2026, there is a lot to reflect on across Indiana’s agbioscience economy and the sector at large. AgriNovus President and CEO, Christy Wright, joins today for an economic checkup. She highlights big wins for Indiana in 2026 – from hubs to headquarters – and looks ahead to AgriNovus’ moves to impact the state long-term.
Highlights include:
Corteva’s decision to double down on Indiana, choosing the state for its global headquarters, what factors ultimately helped drive that decision and what it signals to the rest of the state
USDA’s pending relocation announcements and how welcoming missions to Indiana might reshape the region’s ecosystem
The opportunities that exist to accelerate innovation and commercialization at the intersection of federal presence and global anchors as headquarters (both Elanco and Corteva)
Secondary effects Christy expects from these decisions – from partnerships to venture and beyond – and how AgriNovus is working with industry to capture those
Ecosystem engagement amid the pursuits of Corteva and USDA and how these decisions will ultimately impact all industry players
Indiana’s robust university system and how they fit into attracting bigger companies and organizations to the state that are seeking to fill talent
Investment, talent and innovation as proof points of momentum and the impetus behind the launch of BioHeartland – a shared economic identity for Indiana
Why now for BioHeartland and what differentiates the region from other innovation hubs across the U.S.
How Christy will view BioHeartland as a success
Biggest gaps and opportunities to seize momentum over the next few years to unlock Indiana’s next chapter of agbioscience growth
catalyst for growth
What’s coming up for AgriNovus
Key Takeaways
Now live inside the AGMRI platform, the AGMRI AI Agent is in use for the 2026 crop season.
Agronomic advisors and growers are using the AGMRI AI Agent to ask questions and get field-level answers in seconds, grounded in their own imagery, soil, weather, input, and yield data.
Purpose-built for agronomy, the AI Agent is being used for hybrid placement, in-season decisions, trial data analysis, breakeven and profitability modeling, and grower-ready reports.
INDIANAPOLIS — June 18, 2026 — Intelinair has launched the AGMRI AI Agent, an AI capability inside the AGMRI platform that lets agronomic advisors and growers ask questions and receive field-level answers in seconds. Now live, the AGMRI AI Agent is built on the agronomic data already in AGMRI: multi-source imagery, soil characteristics, weather, input applications, field boundaries, and historical yield outcomes.
The AGMRI AI Agent is purpose-built for agronomy, not adapted from a general-purpose AI tool. Advisors and growers are using it to ask questions such as “Which hybrids performed best on my high-productivity ground last season?” or “Where should I prioritize replant across these fields?” and receive answers grounded in their own data, eliminating hours of manual report pulling and cross-referencing.
“Agriculture has never had a shortage of data; it has had a shortage of time,” said Conner Schmidt, Commercial Leader of Intelinair. “Advisors are managing hundreds of grower accounts, and every recommendation carries weight. The AGMRI AI Agent gives them a way to surface the right insight on the right acre, instantly, without sacrificing the agronomic rigor behind it, and teams are already putting it to work this 2026 crop season.”
What the AGMRI AI Agent does Agronomic advisors and growers are using the AGMRI AI Agent across five core use cases:
Hybrid placement and performance: Identifies which hybrids perform best by county, soil type, or productivity zone, and how to manage them in the coming season.
In-season decision support: Pairs current crop and weather conditions with historical performance to guide replant, nitrogen timing, and fungicide application.
Reports and grower deliverables: Generates field reports, summaries, and shareable documents directly from the conversation.
Trial data analysis: Performs comparative analysis of trial results across environments, hybrids, and management practices.
Breakeven and profitability analysis: Calculates breakeven yield at the field or hybrid level, factoring in land, machinery, seed, chemical, and fertility costs.
Availability The AGMRI AI Agent is live now and integrated directly into the AGMRI platform for all AGMRI customers. To learn more or request a demonstration, visit intelinair.com.
Editor’s Note: High-resolution images of the AGMRI AI Agent are available for download here.
New corporate venture capital platform will invest to advance therapeutics, technologies and One Health solutions
INDIANAPOLIS (June 18, 2026) – Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) today announced plans to establish Elanco Ventures, a dedicated corporate venture capital (CVC) platform designed to support, invest and advance innovation in animal health.
To be backed by a $25 million multi-year commitment, Elanco Ventures will initially focus on strategic investments in therapeutic advancements and supportive technologies across the animal health sector.
“From pets to protein – the animal health industry has never been more relevant than it is today,” said Jeff Simmons, President and CEO of Elanco. “Innovation is happening outside of the boundaries of any single company. Elanco Ventures allows us to strategically leverage the startup landscape to expand our visibility into a range of emerging technologies that help us meet pet owners’ evolving expectation of care and the increasing global demand for protein.”
While primarily focused on animal health, the fund may also explore opportunities within the broader One Health landscape. It will also leverage the proximity of partnerships within the One Health Innovation District in Indianapolis, anchored by Elanco and Purdue University, and designed to bring together life sciences, researchers, and entrepreneurs in one place to break innovation barriers and accelerate progress.
“Elanco Ventures embodies our commitment to partnership and innovation,” said Tim Bettington, Executive Vice President, Center of Strategic Growth at Elanco. “By identifying promising startup technologies and collaborating with the One Health Innovation District, we are better positioned to fast-track innovation that can redefine the future of animal health.”
Launching in late 2026, Elanco Ventures will be overseen by Eric Steager, an experienced CVC leader, and focus on early-stage companies, prioritizing Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A stages of development.
