By Shelby Shank
Field Editor

Colt Nelson’s idea for an edible hay wrap earned him the top award in Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) AgVentures Challenge: Pitch It, Market It, Sell It state contest.

Nelson, who is a senior at Woodson High School, also took home a $6,000 scholarship as the winner.

The contest challenges high school seniors to develop and deliver a creative marketing pitch for an agricultural commodity, product or service.

“The AgVentures Challenge gives students a chance to pitch innovative agricultural concepts in a Shark Tank style competition,” McKenna Bush, TFB leadership coordinator, said. “These students stepped up to the plate and delivered well-researched pitches that were unique and creative.”

Nelson’s product aims to replace traditional hay binding materials like net wrap or twine with an edible hay wrap that is safe for livestock to consume.

“Hay wraps are made from polypropylene, which is a hydrothermal plastic. Our edible hay wrap wouldn’t cause any complications if livestock consumed it, but it does have a molasses coat with trace minerals applied to it,” Nelson said. “We’re not improving the agricultural landscape with this wrap, but we are enabling ranchers to be more productive because they don’t have to feed as many minerals as they were before.”

The runner-up in the state contest was Mallory Thornton, a senior at Hudson High School.

Thorton developed a conceptual product of medicated feed for the prevention of New World screwworm.

“I attended Texas Farm Bureau’s Summer Conference last year and listened to presentations on the New World screwworm. That’s what sparked my idea for this product,” Thornton said. “The contest is to come up with an idea relevant to agriculture today, and I knew it had to be something with New World screwworm. And it’s something relevant to me as I raise and manage my own cattle herd.”

As the runner-up, Thorton received a $4,000 scholarship.

Other finalists in the top six of the competition included:

  • Evangeline Arabie of Leon County Farm Bureau
  • Jed Boehme of McLennan County Farm Bureau
  • Ava Stone of Brazoria-Galveston County Farm Bureau
  • Brayden Dillingham of Karnes County Farm Bureau

They each received a $2,000 scholarship.

The top six finalists also will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. this summer to meet with elected officials and tour historical sites.

Four other finalists included:

  • Justin Jett of Lipscomb County Farm Bureau
  • Audree Waites of Angelina County Farm Bureau
  • Gunnar McConlogue of Randall County Farm Bureau
  • Haven Waide-Hill of Lipscomb County Farm Bureau

They each received $1,500 scholarships.

Contest details
The contest is open to high school seniors who completed TFB’s Thrive experience last August.

Thrive is a part of TFB’s Student Success Series, which includes virtual and in-person programs for students in eighth through twelfth grade. The Student Success Series aims to help students develop a better understanding of advocacy, learn more about Farm Bureau and grow personal and professional skills they can use in the classroom and future careers.

The state contest took place at TFB’s Conference and Training Center in Waco Jan. 23.

For more information about the Student Success Series, visit texasfarmbureau.org/student-success-series.