The Biostimulant Innovator of the Year Award, sponsored by Valent BioSciences and hosted by Meister Media Worldwide, honors forward-thinking growers who are using biostimulants to address real challenges in the field and shape a more sustainable future. These innovators are proving that biostimulants aren’t just a trend, they’re a practical tool for improving resilience, boosting yields, and optimizing your crop’s potential.
We’re thrilled to announce that this year’s top honor goes to John Buck of Buck Farms in New Bloomington, Ohio. Runners-up include Taylor Braungardt of Braungardt Ag in Bowling Green, Missouri, and Stefano Marcenò of Società Agricola MBTF in Sicily, Italy.
John Buck: A Data-Driven Vision for the Future of Farming
For John Buck, biostimulants are more than a product, they’re part of a bigger philosophy of continuous improvement and long-term community and environmental stewardship. On his Ohio corn and soybean farm, Buck trials biostimulants alongside other modern precision agriculture practices and leans on advanced soil and tissue sampling to validate results. “If you don’t have proof of it, it’s only a thought process,” he says. “One farmer used a product on every acre and thought it wasn’t making money, but he never left a spot untreated to compare. You must evaluate it properly, and that takes effort.”
Pictured: John Buck, Biostimulant Innovator of the Year Award winner.
His journey with biostimulants began in the late ’90s, long before they were widely adopted in the U.S. Now, Buck’s meticulous, data-driven approach has made him a local leader and national example of how biostimulant integration can deliver strong ROI while addressing critical issues like water quality in the Lake Erie watershed.
“If you don’t have proof of it, it’s only a thought process,” Buck says. “You must evaluate it properly, and that takes effort.”
Through on-farm trials, grower engagement, and committee work, Buck is helping lead more farmers to consider biostimulants with science-driven processes. He’s glad to see the farming community taking notice. “This is something I value on my farm,” he says, “and I know it can change the game for others, too.”
“[Biostimulants are] something I value on my farm, and I know [they] can change the game for others, too.”
Additional Finalists Who Inspire: Taylor Braungardt and Stefano Marcenò
This year’s competition featured exceptional growers from around the globe, each bringing a unique approach to biostimulant innovation. Runners-up Taylor Braungardt and Stefano Marcenò are excellent examples of that.
Taylor Braungardt, Sustainable Missouri Grower
Taylor Braungardt of Braungardt Ag in Bowling Green, Missouri, stays focused on delivering results with biostimulants. Through hands-on testing, tissue sampling, and concentrated efforts around grower education, he aims to demystify biostimulants and deliver real results.
Braungardt’s experience with biostimulant seed treatment last spring showed him that biostimulants can lead to faster crop emergence and enhanced root growth compared to untreated plots. “It’s like giving plants an aspirin,” he says. “They’re still under stress, but they handle it better while they recover.”
Pictured: Taylor Braungardt, Biostimulant Innovator of the Year Award finalist.
Stefano Marcenò, Environmentally Sustainable Generational Grower
Stefano Marcenò of western Sicily’s Società Agricola MBTF blends his deep family roots in olive farming with a background in phytochemicals. After seeing his biostimulant-treated trees withstand intense heat while others struggled, he realized, “innovation wasn’t a threat to tradition—it was a way to protect it.”
Sicilian growers face unpredictable weather patterns and a changing climate. Marcenò says he’s has seen biostimulants “help the plants stay resilient, supporting them through the entire growth cycle, especially when the weather turns extreme.”
Pictured: Stefano Marcenò, Biostimulant Innovator of the Year Award finalist
Want to Hear Their Full Stories?
Each of these growers brings something impactful to the conversation around biostimulants’ place in sustainable agriculture. To dive deeper into their stories and on-farm insights, read coverage on GrowingProduce.com.
