Billi Hunt | Executive Director, Cultivation Corridor

The Idea: An agricultural technology hub built in the northwestern part of Greater Des Moines would expand on an already strong infrastructure and could elevate our region to the Midwest version of Palo Alto or Boston. The area has already attracted great food and ag tech companies including John Deere ISG and Granular. The 2017 Teconomy report highlights the growth of predictive agriculture, which could become reality in the communities near the Urban Loop. Picture a micro-community where everywhere you go there are startups, problem solvers, venture capitalists and employees focused on the latest technologies, along with the people, services and events to help them thrive. The opportunity is here now to become the ag tech hub and to bring even greater value to our farmers and our food supply. There is no better way to begin than with an already strong foundation. With the new Deere ISG Center in Urbandale, the Granular business owned by Corteva Agriscience just a mile and a half away, and the Hy-Vee Tech Center only two and a half miles away, there is already a strong start to an agricultural technology hub in the northwestern area of Greater Des Moines. Building out a campus to house startups and scale-ups makes sense. Many entrepreneurs are looking for the opportunity to co-locate a new business next to partners, and providing a campus-like feel will attract attention from venture capitalists, tech workers and other global and leading industry brands. A campus setting would also attract gathering spots for individuals to brainstorm, learn and connect. >