Business

Having a 20,000-acre spread, one of the largest farms in one of the nation’s most productive farm states, buys some clout.

First planted in 2010, The Feel Good Farm is a 60-acre, certified-organic growing operation near Sheridan, where the suburban sprawl of Hamilton County gives way to a flat landscape of fields, fencerows, and barns.

Baggott took an early retirement and, in 2010—just a year after ExactTarget surpassed $100 million in annual sales—purchased a 98-acre farm near Greenfield to raise livestock. Never mind that he had no agricultural experience whatsoever.

In simpler times, Bowman’s plan might have passed for good old Hoosier ingenuity. Unfortunately, Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company—and a notorious ball-buster—doesn’t see it that way. And neither did the highest court in the land.

This encounter with Bing grew from—ahem—the kernel of an idea: Challenge the traditional definition of “farmer” by highlighting the more contemporary elements in Indiana agriculture.

"I went to IU, so I try to keep an eye on what’s happening in Indiana. Any state with a great school like that is going to have a solid startup culture. I know it worked for me!"

The hottest new face in fashion hails from Zionsville—but what does it mean to give up the last bit of childhood for a dream?