2026 Annual Meeting

Name: 2026 Annual Meeting
Start: 2026-03-25T10:00:00-05:00
Location: Best Western Holiday Lodge

Schedule

Wed, 25 Mar, 2026 at 10:00 am

UTC-05:00

Location

Best Western Holiday Lodge | Clear Lake, IA

Registration and coffee starts at 9:30 am with the meeting starting at 10:00 am
The Ag Ventures Alliance (AgVA) Annual Meeting is a focused event built around one principle: increasing farm profitability. Expect a room of farm operators, investors, and AgTech founders connecting directly to build solutions that perform in real field conditions.
Keynote: John Kempf, Advancing Eco Agriculture
We’re honored to welcome John Kempf, one of agriculture’s most respected voices on regenerative systems, profitability, and long-term farm resilience. His perspective challenges conventional thinking and pushes the industry forward.
About John Kempf - John Kempf is an entrepreneur, speaker, host of the Regenerative Ag Podcast, leading crop health consultant, and designer of innovative soil and plant management systems. He founded Advancing Eco Agriculture in 2006 and serves as Chief Vision Officer and Executive Board Chairman.
John’s Story - In the early 2000s, Amish farmer John Kempf was on a quest to save his family’s fruit and vegetable farm in Northeast Ohio. After years of intensive pesticide use, pest and disease pressure was unmanageable and unaffected by continued chemical applications. This resulted in an almost total loss three years in a row.
John then began renting a field from a neighboring farm, which sparked an “ah-ha” moment. Cantaloupe plants, located in soil previously managed with intense pesticides, were disease and pest-ridden. Those grown on the rented field with untreated soil were completely healthy. The difference was so pronounced that it launched John on an intense journey to understand why one plant could resist disease while the same variety planted two feet away could not.
After years of extensive agronomic research, first-hand growing experience, and close mentorship – from leaders such as Don Huber, Bruce Tainio, Jerry Brunetti, Arden Anderson, and Michael McNeil – John found new crop management methods. The practices he discovered and the products he created were the beginnings of Advancing Eco Agriculture.
Speakers: Jimmy Emmons NRCS (invited), Pete Nelson, AgLaunch
Why Attend
• Direct farmer–founder connection
• Strategic member updates and direction
• High-signal conversations
• Practical insight you can apply immediately
If you’re an AgVA member, investor, or builder in AgTech who values profitability, resilience, and real-world execution, this room is for you.
Board Nominees
Adam Drewelow, Nashua, IA
Chad Krull, Northwood, IA
Jeff Divan, Thompson, IA
Mark Hanna, Joice, IA
Steve Eastman, Riceville, IA
Lunch Menu
Pork Loin Cajun Orange, Chicken Florentine, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans with bacon & onion, Garden Salad, Roll, and assorted dessert bars.
This year's agenda will consist of:
Welcome & Introductions
Founder Pitch Blocks
Business Meeting & Election of Officers
State of the Coop – Spencer Stensrude
Discovery Trial Winner Announced – Loran Steinlage
Invocation & Lunch (Menu: Pork Loin Cajun Orange, Chicken Florentine, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans with Bacon & Onions, Garden Salad, Roll, Assorted Dessert Bars)
Keynote Speaker – John Kempf
Guest Speaker - Jimmy Emmons, Asst Chief at NCRS / Pete Nelson, AgLaunch
Panel Discussions
Portfolio Companies that will be attending are as follows:
Poultry Patrol
Novoclade
Vane Ag
Animal Deterrent Solutions
EmGenisys
Seismi
Smooth Ag
Soil Action
There will be a drawing at the end of the meeting for several items/services/baskets to those in attendance (must be present to win). We will have new T-shirts for your collection. Register by March 23rd below to save your spot!