Growing with AI Webinar Series
How can Washington ensure a resilient, secure, economically viable future for agriculture and food systems in the age of Artificial Intelligence?
In 2026, the Washington State Academy of Sciences hosted a 6-part webinar series that explored the future of Washington agriculture in the age of Artificial Intelligence.
Webinar discussions served as a foundation of shared learning for a workshop among researchers, farmers, AI developers, policymakers, and innovators 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 was open to those who participated in previous webinar sessions. Due to its interactive nature, this discussion was not recorded.
The Growing with AI Webinar Series is Supported by
Growing with AI Grand Challenges Workshop
Wednesday, April 22, 2:30pm – Friday, April 24, 12:00pm
Wenatchee, Washington
This multi-day collaborative workshop was designed to define consequential challenges and opportunities for AI-enabled innovation in Washington agriculture and catalyze the partnerships needed to address them. The workshop is part of the Academy’s Growing with AI initiative exploring how to ensure a resilient, secure, and economically viable future for Washington agriculture in the age of AI.
Through experiential learning and facilitated co-design, approximately 50 participants — including food producers, researchers, technology innovators, policymakers, and funders — worked 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.
THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS OF THE Growing with AI INITIATIVE
PLATINUM SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSORS
WSAS Board & Members
BRONZE SPONSORS
SUPPORTERS
