Lillie Beringer of Beringer Family Farms Beef (BFF Beef) in Cascade is one of three rural Iowa entrepreneurs who are finalists in the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s Grow Your Future Award.

     BFF Beef, which offers direct-to-consumer beef sales from its own herd, was one of five semifinalists in the competition. The field was narrowed to three via audience online voting that concluded Dec. 12.

     The three finalists will compete for $15,000 in cash during a pitch-off at the Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Conference Jan. 28-29 in Des Moines.

     The final order of winners will be decided by a combination of judges’ scores and audience votes at the conference. First prize is $7,500, second is $5,000 and third is $2,500.

     In its fourth year, the Grow Your Future Award elevates young farmer entrepreneurs and provides an opportunity for them to expand their ag-related businesses with cash prizes.

     The other two finalists are Holland Flower Farm of Sioux Center, and Hungry Canyon Design of Correctionville.