RCBI announces winner of Ag Innovation competition
For developing a system that helps farmers track wandering cattle, a college student was selected the winner of the inaugural Vanguard Agriculture Competition sponsored by the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing (RCBI). Evan Dodrill, a junior at West Virginia University studying animal science, was recognized for The Herdsman, a product that tracks livestock from any remote location and sends farmers an alert when their livestock go outside a set boundary. The West Virginia Vanguard Agriculture Competition honors innovation and ingenuity in agriculture, recognizing an entrepreneur whose idea had the greatest potential to solve logistical challenges in the local food supply chain. As the winner of the competition, Dodrill will receive a business assistance package valued in excess of $10,000, including product design and development, funding opportunities, business incubator space, and other services. Funded by a grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the initiative supports and enhances a vibrant local foods system by promoting entrepreneurship and innovation. The West Virginia Vanguard Agriculture Competition is also supported by Unlimited Future Inc. and The Wild Ramp. Operating as West Virginia’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center, RCBI has extended its reach beyond traditional manufacturing to assist local food producers, distributors and buyers so they can expand their reach and influence through advanced manufacturing practices, technology adoption and product development assistance.
Congratulations, Evan Dodrill!
