Mitch Eviston, the founder and CEO of Meristem Crop Performance, earns the 2025 National Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Industrials and Energy category. His leadership, vision, and strong commitment to farmers helped him become a national winner during the ceremony held in Palm Springs, California.
Eviston says, “I am truly humbled by this recognition. The whole vision for this company was to help farmers take cost out and produce more bushels for less by reducing tillage, fertilizer and pesticides used to grow food around the world. I'm happy to say that this year over 10 million acres of food was grown with our products. I just want to thank God for that, I want to thank my team, and I want to thank all the farmers for changing their production practices with us.”
He first earned the east central regional award in June and later became one of the national winners chosen from 221 regional winners representing 191 companies. Independent judges review each candidate based on their leadership, purpose, growth, impact, and long-term value.
The judging panel notes, “Mitchell’s remarkable journey transformed adversity into purpose, founding Meristem to support farmers and shape the next stage of sustainable agriculture. Its proprietary, biological innovations preserve soil health, produce higher yields and nurture future generations.”
Eviston is a native of Wabash, Indiana, and develops his interest in agriculture early in life. He joined FFA and soil judging contests during high school and later earned a degree in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University.
After building a strong corporate agriculture career, his life changes when he battles liver cancer and receives a transplant in 2018. This experience inspired him to address inefficiencies in the agricultural supply chain.
In 2018, he launches Meristem Crop Performance to give farmers better access to high-quality crop inputs at lower costs. His goal is to help farmers grow more while spending less. Meristem quickly grew under his leadership and became known for innovative, next-generation, and biological solutions that support soil health and higher yields.
Today, Eviston’s work continues to shape the future of modern farming. His journey shows strong dedication, resilience, and a clear mission to support farmers everywhere.
Photo by: meristemag.com
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Bonnie Johnson
November 28, 2025
Media Article
