Smart Farms

06/25/2026

Big Announcement!

Smart Farms LLC & Bucket Buddies are going national! 🌾🍉🍍🥭🎒🚀

We are incredibly proud to officially announce that Smart Farms LLC and Bucket Buddies have been accepted into the prestigious Lvlup Ventures CPG Fall Program!

LvlUp Ventures is ranked by Pitchbook as the #1 most active venture capital firm globally in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Consumer Technology.

Out of fast-growing brands across the country, they have selected our local Sioux Falls startup for an institutional partnership.

What this means for our brand:

Enterprise-Grade Upgrade:
Starting this week, LvlUp’s engineering team is taking over our technology framework.

We are receiving a fully supported website migration to SHOPLINE 香港 Premium—the global commerce platform powering major brands like LEGO , FILA USA , and Lush Cosmetics North America .

Zero Digital Overhead:
This partnership unlocks over $1 Million in operational software and marketing credits.

This allows us to run our digital back-office for $0 out-of-pocket cash, keeping our operation hyper-efficient.

National Retail Scale:
Right after Labor Day, we enter their 10-week accelerator cohort.

We will be working 1:1 with executive mentors from Fortune 500 companies to scale our 5 published books, 50+ cartoon characters, and healthy fruit snacks into retail stores nationwide.

We strategically closed our physical storefront at the Jones421 building to eliminate retail overhead and prepare for this exact digital and retail rocket ship launch.

Thank you to everyone in Sioux Falls who has supported our journey from day one.

The best is yet to come! 💎✨

05/24/2026

A new guest is coming to SiouxperCon 2026, thanks to our pals at Smart Farms !

Andrew Thomas is an award‑winning Canadian comic book artist and letterer from Mississauga, Ontario, best known as the co‑creator and artist of the indie hit Auric of the Great White North. His work spans major publishers, including Disney Comics, Archie Comics, Chapterhouse Publishing, and IDW, where he contributed to titles such as Captain Canuck, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Kevin Smith’s Quick Stops.

A prolific and versatile creator, Andrew has earned recognition for both his artwork and his lettering, including the Favorite Letterer Award from Sequential Magazine. His credits extend across more than 200 projects, with lettering featured in Maskerade (Dark Horse), Mosely (BOOM!), Rat Queens (Image), and Dead Romans (Image).

Celebrated for his energetic convention presence and his contributions to Canadian indie comics, Andrew continues to bring bold visuals, expressive storytelling, and a passion for the craft to every project he touches.

05/20/2026

Smart Farms LLC and Bucket Buddies are thrilled to be recipients of the Amex Shop Small Grants Program, thanks to American Express and Main Street America.

This grant is more than just funding; it’s an investment in our ability to grow, innovate, and continue creating meaningful experiences centered around food, education, and community.

As a small business, every decision matters.

This support will help us expand our indoor farming infrastructure, grow the Bucket Buddies product line, develop more educational grow kits and experiences for families, and continue building healthier local food systems through fresh salads, smoothies, snacks, and interactive learning opportunities.

We’re especially proud to be part of this initiative and join a network of small businesses across the country that are working to create lasting impact in their communities.

Thank you to everyone supporting Smart Farms and Bucket Buddies as we continue building something bigger than a business — a movement around food, education, entrepreneurship, and community connection.

05/19/2026

We are excited to get involved!

We are stoked to welcome a brand-new guest sponsor this year for SiouxperCon: Smart Farms !

Sponsors help keep our little 501(c)3 organization thriving so that we can support other local charities and bring SiouxperCon back each year. If your business would like to chat about sponsoring, give us a shout! 📲