Growing with AI: Washington’s Agricultural Future

How can Artificial Intelligence contribute to a resilient, secure, and economically viable future for agriculture in the state of Washington?

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.

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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:

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 Coleman, (Host), Director of Weather Strategy (retired), Bayer/The Climate Corporation
  • Dani Gelardi, Senior Soil Scientist & Climate Coordinator, Washington State Department of Agriculture
  • Andrew Nelson, Software Engineer and Farmer
  • Amy McGovern, Professor, University of Oklahoma;
    Director, NSF AI2ES;
    Lead AI and Meteorology Strategist – Advisor, Brightband
  • Brad Zamft, CEO & Co-Founder, Heritable Agriculture

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
  • Lav Khot, Professor of Precision Agriculture, Washington State University
  • 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 Analytic, 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
  • Juming Tang, Frank Jungers Endowed Chair, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Washington
  • Claire Zoellner, Director of Data Science, iFoodDS

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.

The Growing with AI Initiative is generously supported by