By Whitney Baxter
When Mitchell Hora (’17 agronomy, agricultural systems technology) started Continuum Ag 10 years ago, he pictured his post-graduation life consisting of running the small start-up business and farming alongside his family near Washington in southeast Iowa. Little did he know just how far his entrepreneurial venture would take him.
“Continuum Ag has grown way bigger than I ever could have imagined,” Hora said. “We’re now in a spot where we could be impacting millions of farms and families.”
This past weekend, Hora was presented the 2026 Emerging Iowa Leader Award from Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences during the annual CALS Alumni BBQ. The award recognizes CALS alums who have taken on significant leadership roles early in their professional careers and are making positive impacts in the agriculture and life sciences fields.
Continuum Ag’s early days were spent serving as an agricultural consulting company, offering farmers soil sampling and soil fertility recommendations. It later expanded into soil data management, focusing on the physical and biological aspects of soil. Now, Hora and his team are all-in on helping farmers obtain their Carbon Intensity score so they can get the most from the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit.
Hora has been exploring the carbon markets for years. In 2022, he ran the CI score on his family farm.
“That was the light bulb moment, and I began looking for markets that paid farmers and producers based on their carbon footprint,” Hora said. “I knew helping farmers calculate their CI scores and manage their farm data related to 45Z could be a huge opportunity for us.”
Under 45Z, farmers who produce “low carbon” grains can receive higher premiums – more money – for their grains when sold to biofuel producers. That is because biofuel companies are placing greater value on feedstocks that have lower CI scores. The lower the CI score, the more farmers are paid.
Low carbon grains are those grown using farming practices that minimize greenhouse gas emissions, such as cover crops and no-till. Hora’s family started practicing no-till in the late 1970s and added cover crops in 2013. He said 45Z can incentivize farmers to implement these and other regenerative farming practices to receive higher grain premiums.
As with any entrepreneurial venture, Hora has experienced the ups and downs of running a business. However, one thing that has remained constant throughout the journey is his focus on the company’s core values and allowing employees to grow into their roles.
He encourages fellow entrepreneurs to be passionate about their business, especially during tough times, and become involved in entrepreneurial groups. His involvement with the Start Something CALS program as an Iowa State student laid the foundation for the success he’s found as a business owner.
“I really believe in what we do and that it can change agriculture for the better,” Hora said.