Innovation and Discovery in Agriculture and Food

High Desert Discovery District, New Mexico Department of Agriculture, and New Mexico State University announce “Innovation and Discovery in Agriculture and Food”, November 9-10 in Las Cruces Related discoveries from across New Mexico invited to apply June 30, 2016 – The High Desert Discovery District (HD3) – New Mexico’s first privately-led high technology start-up accelerator – the New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) and New Mexico State University (NMSU) announced today that they will co-host the next HD3 Discovery Day™ - “Innovation and Discovery in Agriculture and Food” - November 9-10, 2016 in Las Cruces. The event will focus on statewide innovation and commercialization opportunities within or that impact the agriculture, value-added food products and food industries. “You can think of this event as Shark Tank for the agricultural and food-related sectors, both of which are significant economic drivers for our state,” New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte said. “We’re excited to see people of all backgrounds bring forward their projects and ideas to improve market conditions, develop new market opportunities and solve real and significant challenges in agriculture.” As with other Discovery Day events, innovators from all over New Mexico are invited to apply to HD3 to present their agriculture, agriculture-related (e.g. water, irrigation, biosecurity, energy, biomass, etc.), food or value-added food discovery/innovation/product to a highly experienced group of subject matter experts, business achievers, entrepreneurs, innovators, management experts and investors. The application deadline to participate in the Las Cruces Discovery Day is Friday, October 7, 2016. Application details are at www.hddd.org. “HD3 Discovery Day will further support the next generation of innovators and leaders in agriculture and food and we are so pleased to be part of it,” said Kathryn Hansen, director of Arrowhead Center at NMSU. “Because of our rich network of entrepreneurs and agribusiness leaders at NMSU and the Arrowhead Technology Incubator, Discovery Day is a very natural and significant progression of our support of agricultural entrepreneurs”. All Discovery Day presenters are invited to attend the HD3 Networking Cocktail Reception and Casual Supper, an HD3 tradition to gather together presenters, panelists, hosts, sponsors and special guests socially the evening before Discovery Day. For this event, HD3 will spotlight New Mexico’s wine industry with a wine dinner for all participants on November 9, 2016 in La Mesilla.