The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and North Iowa Area SBDC are excited to announce Jason Ryner of ReEnvision Ag in Nora Springs, IA as the July Entrepreneur of the Month.

Jason Ryner founded ReEnvision Ag to develop disruptive technology that will change the row-crop farming industry. Jayson developed what is now called REAP (ReEnvision Ag Planting) to allow row-crop farmers to plant earlier, with more control and less damage to the seed than with other existing technologies.

Jayson grew up on a family farm in Iowa but was uncertain of the continued viability of making a living as a small farmer, due in part to the farm crisis of the 1980s. He decided to instead pursue a career in music and music education. But, as Jayson puts it, “You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy.” Jayson returned to the family farm to take over a part of business, determined to ensure that the farm was successful and efficient. “This is just how we do things” was no longer a good enough reason to continue with the same old practices.

Jayson is passionate about helping farms increase profitability through improved crop production and reduced waste. He’s also passionate about helping farmers be good stewards of the environment by reducing pollutants, fuel consumption, and overall environmental impact.

Jayson’s vision is that once the REAP technology is commercialized, it will disrupt and improve the current no-till farming methods and give row-crop farmers a viable alternative that is environmentally friendly, sustainable, and profitable. Current planting practices can cause soil impaction which inhibits root growth and water infiltration. The REAP technology is designed to avoid soil compaction while also giving greater control over the depth and spacing at which the seed is planted. The end result is an improvement in plant health, soil conservation, reduced environmental impact, and increased profitability for small farms.

The REAP technology can be expanded and applied across the agricultural spectrum. ReEnvision Ag intends to focus on solving problems in commercial agriculture in an effort to create a traceable, reliable, and sustainable food source – reducing environmental impact in a commercially sustainable way for family farms. ReEnvision Ag is working with the Iowa Innovation Corporation and investigating Federal and State grant opportunities through the SBIR/USDA and National Science Foundation (NSF) grant programs.

Farmers are known as innovators. Jayson is not only a problem solver – he’s an impassioned entrepreneur determined to help his fellow farmers and protect the environment that supports us. Jayson contacted Brook Boehmler of the North Iowa Area Small Business Development Center to help bring his technology to market. Jayson worked with Candi Karsjens at the NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, the lead instructor for the NIACC Pappajohn Center cohort of the University of Iowa Venture School. He graduated from the Fall 2019 Venture School cohort where he developed his initial business model and tested the product-market fit. Jayson gained momentum during Venture School, connecting with his mentor Spencer Stensrude, Executive Director of AgVentures Alliance and assembling a team of agricultural and technological experts.

Hard work and a team of expert advisors and mentors has paid off; Jason won first prize in the recent Venture School Launch Day Pitch Competition held during EntreFest 2020, and also took home the Emerging Technology award. Jayson has brought together a core group of initial investors and is ready to tackle the next steps of bringing emergent technology to market – and the NIACC Pappajohn Center and SBDC are excited to be a part of it. The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is the expert in rural business innovation and success. In partnership with North Iowa’s Small Business Development Center, together we provide tools, support, and resources to Iowa’s entrepreneurs. We counsel both new and existing local businesses, from Main Street to industry leaders. We’re growing Iowa’s entrepreneurial culture through grade school initiatives, college and community programs, and business training and development. Contact the NIACC Pappajohn Center at 641-422-4111 or pappajohn@niacc.edu.

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