The Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy, and Trade will meet for a hearing titled, “High-Tech Agriculture: Small Firms on the Frontier of Agribusiness.” The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, October 5, 2017 in Room 2360 of the Rayburn House Office Building. 

This hearing will examine rapid development of the agricultural technology (agtech) industry driven by the private sector.  Entrepreneurs are tackling industry challenges and facilitating technology transfer from the lab to the farm to the table.  Agricultural regions are competing to be the next great innovation hub, which has spurred rural revitalization.  The discussion will explore issues beyond the headlines to understand the role of small businesses and the perspective of small family farmers. 

Lisa Benson, Ph.D.
Director, Rural Development
American Farm Bureau Federation
Washington, DC
Testimony
Disclosure

Mr. Kevin Heikes
Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer
IN10T
Lenexa, KS
Testimony
Disclosure

Mark Kester, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
AgroSpheres, LLC
Charlottesville, VA
Testimony 
Disclosure

Mr. Joe Guthrie
Senior Instructor, Agricultural Technology Program
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Testimony
Disclosure