Grow-California Announces California’s 14 Game Changers of the Year In Ag Innovation
July 12, 2011 Tweethttp://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Grow-California announced that 14 California agricultural businesses have been chosen as the 2011 “Game Changers of the Year” in Agriculture Innovation. The award winners — a combination of agribusinesses, agricultural technology companies, university initiatives, and innovative nonprofit programs — will be recognized by California Secretary of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross at a luncheon during the inaugural California Agriculture Innovation Conference scheduled for July 20-21 at the University of California-Davis’s Freeborn Hall.
The California Agriculture Innovation Conference marks the first time that the Silicon Valley will be focusing on the Central Valley and beyond for potential investment opportunities within the state’s agricultural industry to help ag entrepreneurs grow and develop while at the same time creating new companies and jobs to help rebuild the economy. Conference organizers believe that by bringing the venture capital community together with the agricultural community, there will be tremendous potential to create an innovative technology hub for agriculture in the Central Valley (as was done in the Silicon Valley for high tech), and will spawn new ag-related companies, jobs, and economic activity throughout California.
The 14 California Game Changers in Agriculture Innovation were chosen from 300 original nominees and 100 finalists. The final choices were made by a selection committee composed of representatives from investment banks, venture capital funds, academia, and the California agriculture industry.
The 2011 Game Changers are:
| Company | Category |
| SureHarvest, Soquel | Sustainable Agriculture Innovation |
| Robert Mondavi Institute Teaching & Research Winery, Davis |
Innovations in Science & Education Initiatives |
| National Ag Science Center, Modesto | Innovative Community Initiative |
| Musco Family Olive Company, Tracy | Energy & Agriculture Innovation |
| Western Growers, Irvine | Food Safety Innovation |
| Agrian, Fresno | Ag Tech Innovation |
| Marrone Bio Innovations, Davis | Raising Capital |
| Paramount Farms, Lost Hills | Innovative Marketing & Sales Campaign |
| E.&J. Gallo Winery, Modesto | Innovation in Distribution & Logistics |
| Blue Diamond Growers, Sacramento | Global Market Leadership |
| PureSense, Fresno | Water/Irrigation Innovation |
| Creative Research Management, Stockton | Manufacturing & Processing Innovation |
| Lundberg Family Farms, Richvale | Innovation in Organics |
| AgraQuest, Davis | Sustainable Ag Technology Innovation |
“The California Game Changers of the Year in Agriculture Innovation represent the best of the best in our state for the tremendous impact they have had on the agricultural industry through their innovations and positive impact on the state’s economy,” said Jon Gregory, Grow-California CEO. “Despite the sustained economic challenges facing many industries, agriculture continues to be the backbone of California’s economy and it has many companies that are thriving. We are pleased to be able to recognize these innovative companies, university initiatives and innovative nonprofit programs who are doing fabulous work to continue to advance agriculture and its ability to feed the world’s population.”
Source: Grow-California