Midlothian-based fertilizer company NTP Technologies earned top honors in the second annual Virginia Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability Agricultural and Forestry Innovation Challenge.

The competition, also known as the “Bull Pen,” was held during the 2023 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Virginia Beach. Winners were announced during the convention’s opening luncheon on Nov. 28.

NTP Technologies was awarded the competition’s grand prize of $10,000 in addition to $2,500 for placing among the five finalists.

Wilmer Stoneman, vice president of agriculture, development and innovation for VFBF, described the Bull Pen as an entrepreneurial competition that highlights innovative practices in agriculture and businesses “that are going the extra mile for value-added production.”

The challenge aims to “foster entrepreneurial ideas that support the agricultural and forestry industries in Virginia,” added Tony Banks, senior assistant director of VFBF agriculture, development and innovation.

Participants were asked to describe why their business proposals were innovative and, if executed, how they would benefit the commonwealth’s agricultural and forestry sectors.

John Ireland, CEO of NTP Technologies, said that as global populations rise, there is a growing need for a nitrogen fertilizer substitute. NTP has created one through its proprietary, non-thermal plasma technology that generates affordable, sustainable, salt-free nitrates that use only air and electricity as inputs.

“Even though it’s a global problem, it’s the local farmers that are really interested in alternative solutions to helping them be better stewards of the land, as well as making sure they’re actually growing,” Ireland said.

NTP Technologies aims to address farmers’ concerns with sustainability, price volatility and availability of fertilizers by “mimicking Mother Nature’s way of doing it.”

“We’re turning an operating cost into a capital cost—you buy the machine initially, and you produce fertilizer over the years at a lower cost than you’d buy in the markets,” Ireland explained.

NTP Technologies plans to use the contest prize money to conduct additional fertilization trials with crops in controlled environments.

Potomac Vegetable Farms of Loudoun County placed second in the Bull Pen challenge and received $5,000. The 50-year-old vegetable farm also received $2,500 as a competition finalist.

Virginia Oyster Company, a boat-to-table seafood operation in Gloucester County, received $2,500 as recipient of the Bull Pen’s People’s Choice Award, as well as $2,500 for being a finalist.

Ian Antons’ heritage hop farm in Winchester and A&G Safety Solutions in Wytheville also earned $2,500 as finalists.

With almost 135,000 members in 88 county Farm Bureaus, VFBF is Virginia’s largest farmers’ advocacy group. Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, nonpartisan, voluntary organization committed to supporting Virginia’s agriculture industry. View more convention news as it is shared at vafb.com/convention, and follow us on social media via #VFBFannualmtg23.

Contact Pam Wiley, vice president of communications, at 804-291-6315.