A Critical Time for Innovation
For generations, Washington farmers have been pioneers—national leaders in agricultural productivity and diversity. Our 300+ commodities and $12.9 billion agricultural economy are built on ingenuity and resilience.
Today’s producers face unprecedented challenges: climate volatility, water scarcity, labor shortages, and economic pressures. Artificial intelligence offers transformative potential to address these challenges. Washington farmers are already using AI to make complex decisions, increase yields, reduce environmental impact, and improve worker safety.
Imagine:
- Farmers receiving precise weather predictions days or weeks in advance
- AI systems optimizing every drop of water and input, maximizing yield while minimizing waste
- Leveling the playing field for small-scale producers with AI decision-support tools
WSAS’S “Growing with ai” initiative
The Washington State Academy of Sciences is convening researchers, farmers, AI developers, policymakers, and innovators to explore how AI can shape agriculture’s future in Washington.
Join our 6-part webinar series exploring AI’s role in farming—from climate resilience to post-harvest optimization. Registration is free and open to the public.
Webinar discussions will serve as a foundation of shared learning for a workshop among speakers and other invitees to further refine Washington’s opportunity space and catalyze new collaborations.
Overviews
Artificial Intelligence: What it can do, where it is going, and key opportunities for agriculture
January 12, 2026, 12-1pm
Learn AI basics, how agriculture drives AI innovation, and how AI is reshaping farming from reactive to proactive operations.
Speakers:
- Oren Etzioni, Technical Director, AI2 Incubator; Professor Emeritus, University of Washington (view slides)
- Ananth Kalyanaraman, Professor and Director, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University; Director, NSF-USDA NIFA AgAID AI Institute (view slides)
Agriculture in Washington: What are our strengths and what are opportunities for AI-enabled innovation
January 23, 2026, 12-1pm
Explore opportunities and challenges for Washington agriculture and how AI could increase viability and competitiveness.
Speakers:
- Derek Sandison, Director, Washington State Department of Agriculture (view slides)
- Ines Hanrahan, Executive Director, Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (view slides)
Topical Panels
AI for Climate and Weather Resilience
February 4, 2026, 12-1:30pm
How can AI-enabled approaches help growers prepare and adapt to increasing climate variability and extreme weather?
Speakers:
- Brad Colman, (Host), Director of Weather Strategy (retired), Bayer/The Climate Corporation
- Dani Gelardi, Senior Soil Scientist & Climate Coordinator, Washington State Department of Agriculture (view slides)
- Andrew Nelson, Software Engineer and Farmer (view slides)
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Director, NSF AI2ES;Lead AI and Meteorology Strategist – Advisor, Brightband (view slides)
- Brad Zamft, CEO & Co-Founder, Heritable Agriculture (view slides)
AI for Input Optimization
February 12, 2026, 12-1:30pm
How can AI be used to maximize productivity while minimizing costs and environmental impact?
Speakers:
- Kelly McLain, (Host), Assistant Director, Agricultural Environmental Services Division, Washington State Department of Agriculture
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Lav Khot, Professor of Precision Agriculture, Washington State University (view slides)
- Jonathan Cox, Vice President of Science & Technology, Double Diamond Fruit
- Miel Hostens, Robert and Anne Everett Endowed Associate Professor of Digital Dairy Management and Data Analytics, Cornell University
- Steve Mantle, CEO & Founder, innov8.ag
AI for Post-Harvest
February 19, 2026, 12-1:30pm
How can AI be used in storage, processing, and distribution to enhance quality, reduce waste, and optimize supply chains?
Speakers:
- Scot Hulbert, (Host), Regents Professor and Cook Endowed Chair for Cropping Systems Pathology, Washington State University
- Ines Hanrahan, Executive Director, Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (view slides)
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Juming Tang, Frank Jungers Endowed Chair, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Washington (view slides)
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Shyam Sablani, Professor of Biological Engineering, Washington State University (view slides)
- Claire Zoellner, Director of Data Science, iFoodDS (view slides)
Discussion
AI in the Farm of the Future
March 4, 2026, 12-1:30pm
Imagine how AI could enable robust food production in Washington for future generations. This discussion is open to those who participated in previous webinar sessions. Participants will receive a separate link to register.
Growing with AI Grand Challenges Workshop
Wednesday, April 22, 2:30pm – Friday, April 24, 12:00pm
Wenatchee, Washington
Applications are now open to attend a multi-day collaborative workshop designed to define consequential challenges and opportunities for AI-enabled innovation in Washington agriculture and catalyze the partnerships needed to address them. The workshop – hosted by the Washington State Academy of Sciences (WSAS), a non-profit organization dedicated to putting science and engineering in service to Washington – is part of the Academy’s Growing with AI initiative exploring how Artificial Intelligence can contribute to a resilient, secure, and economically viable future for agriculture in the state of Washington.
Through experiential learning and facilitated co-design, approximately 50 participants — including food producers, researchers, technology innovators, policymakers, and funders — will work together to:
- Identify Grand Challenges: Define critical problems where AI could make a meaningful difference for Washington agriculture
- Explore trade-offs: Examine risks, benefits, and considerations across economic, environmental, and social dimensions
- Enable action: Identity collaboration and funding pathways to guide future research, policy, and innovation efforts.
Deadline to apply is March 2, 12:00pm PT.
