The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Mo will soon play host to the seventh annual Ag Innovation Showcase.  On September 14-16 the spotlight will be on four women-owned businesses.  Each company will showcase their breaking new technology in renewable and sustainable agriculture.

These four firms are a few of the 19 companies that will be at the Showcase.  Between them they will be presenting some of the most innovative renewable and sustainable solutions, biological technologies, farming innovations and precision agriculture.

Oakland, Calif.-based Mango Materials produces biodegradable plastics from waste biogas (methane) that are economically competitive with conventional oil-based plastics.  All three company co-founders, including Molly Morse, chief executive officer, are women.

Advanced water desalination and purification technology, Micro-DesalTM, developed by Wise, Va.-based Micronic Technologies can clean water from any source using a mobile, high-efficiency, low-maintenance purification system free of chemicals, filters, and membranes.  Karen Sorber is majority owner, chief executive officer, and executive chair.

Based in Nashville, Tenn., Stony Creek Colors is the leading U.S. manufacturer of bio-based dyes for the textile industry.  Led by Sarah Bellos, founder and chief executive officer, the firm aims to domestically cultivate 15,000 acres of indigo in the next five years.

Madison, Wis.-based Whole Trees Architecture & Structures takes a previously ignored waste product – non-milled, round-timber renewable cullings that are four to 21 inches in diameter – from sustainably managed forests, and engineers cost-efficient, sustainable structural systems for commercial and residential buildings.  Amelia Baxter is president and co-founder.

“There is a significant underrepresentation of women-owned companies in ag tech, but we’re working to change that,” said Rohit Shukla, chief executive officer of Larta Institute, which is directing the Showcase and is one of its three organizers. “Ag Innovation Showcase is the ideal forum for promoting the tremendous potential of our presenting companies and attracting the investments that will enable them to expand and grow in a time of great promise.”

You can follow Ag Innovation Showcase on Twitter: @agshowcase and with the event hashtag #aginshow2015