Ecovative Celebrates National Ag Day 2013
GREEN ISLAND, NY, Tuesday, March 19, 2013 – Ecovative acknowledges the crucial support of New York State farmers to advance the development and commercialization of our material technology. Today marks the 40th year of National Ag Day celebrations but the first time Ecovative has had a chance to participate. In 2012, with the support of farmers in Rensselaer, Schoharie, and Washington counties in New York, Ecovative acquired over one million pounds of corn stalks to produce and market Mushroom® Materials. By working with the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Substrate Acquisition Specialist Karen Prime sourced local agricultural by-products in line with Ecovative’s commitment to reducing environmental impact through grown materials. “Local is key because it reduces transportation and freight, delivering quality products to our customers at a lower cost,” Prime said. According to the Agriculture Council of America, agriculture is America’s #1 export. Ecovative works with America’s #1 exporters to source corn stalks, so that each product maintains a sustainable life-cycle. Like many industries, new technology means farmers are more environmentally friendly than ever before. Ecovative is committed to collaborate on technologies that extend the environmental benefits of agriculture even further. Ecovative CEO Eben Bayer extended an acknowledgement of the win-win-win relationship with each New York State farmer. “New York State farmers are hard working. We’re proud to partner with them to provide another source of revenue, obtain the substrates we need, and offer products that build a better planet,” Bayer said. “This opportunity lets us share farmers, labor, and sunlight from New York State to build advanced manufacturing processes that support the economy and the environment.” Ecovative looks forward to maintaining its commitment to building a circular economy, in partnership with America’s farmers and agricultural business leaders.About National Ag Day National Ag Day is organized by the Agriculture Council of America. ACA is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, dedicating its efforts to increasing the public's awareness of agriculture's role in modern society. For more information, visit www.agday.org About EcovativeFounded in 2007, Ecovative is a materials science company developing a new class of home-compostable plastics based on mycelium, an organism akin to a living polymer. Ecovative’s high-performance products serve as environmentally responsible alternatives to traditional foam packaging, insulation, and other plastic-based materials. Ecovative was incubated at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Rensselaer, together with 3M Company and the DOEN Foundation, are significant investors in Ecovative. Ecovative has been recognized with numerous international awards for sustainability and “green” technologies, and was named a Tech Pioneer at the 2011 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Ecovative’s growth has been fueled by grants, prizes, and support from key partners including the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance. For more information, visit www.ecovativedesign.com.
