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X-WR-CALNAME:CAST - The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology
X-WR-CALDESC:Expertise you can trust.
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CREATED:20260825
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828
PRIORITY:5
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TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Webinar “AI in Agriculture: Transforming the Food System from Data to Decisions to Action”
DESCRIPTION:Join us for the release of CAST’s latest policy brief, AI in Agriculture: Transforming the Food System from Data to Decisions to Action, featuring a presentation by lead author Alex Thomasson, Ph.D., Professor at Mississippi State University.\nArtificial intelligence is no longer a future story for American agriculture — it is already reshaping how producers manage crops and livestock, how food is processed and distributed, and how natural resources are stewarded. This brief examines where AI is creating real value across the agricultural value chain, what foundational investments are needed to support its responsible adoption, and what policy decisions will determine whether its benefits are broadly shared.\nDr. Thomasson will walk through the brief’s key findings and take questions from attendees.\nWho should attend: Agricultural scientists, policymakers and congressional staff, USDA and federal agency professionals, industry stakeholders, and anyone interested in the intersection of AI, food systems, and U.S. agricultural policy.\nDate: September 14, 2026\nTime: Noon CT\nFormat: Free, online — registration required\n
URL:https://streamyard.com/watch/wn5bvM9tgG4K
CATEGORIES:Webinars
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UID:MEC-46905e5282d87f093e8392e3227f0ed7@cast-science.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260922T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260922T130000
DTSTAMP:20260827T111325Z
CREATED:20260827
LAST-MODIFIED:20260828
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:4
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Webinar “Can AI Agents Use Our Agricultural Research? A FAIR4AG² Roadmap for Agent-Ready Science”
DESCRIPTION:AI agents are now capable of searching for evidence, using tools and completing multi-step scientific tasks. But for those agents to work effectively in agriculture, the research they rely on has to be structured in ways automated systems can actually use — and much of it currently isn’t.\nIn an upcoming webinar hosted by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), researchers from Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will introduce FAIR4AG², a framework that extends the well-known FAIR data principles for the era of AI agents. Luke Qian, postdoctoral associate in food science, and Martin Wiedmann, the Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety, will define what “agent-actionability” means in practice — whether an agent can find, access, execute, trace and interpret a research resource without human intervention — and offer a roadmap for making agricultural science more accessible to trusted AI systems.\nTopics include structured document formats, machine-readable metadata and licensing, APIs, Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, Agent Skills and reproducible runtime records. The session will also address how to maintain easy access and understanding of research materials by human readers alongside improvements aimed at AI systems.\nThe webinar is free and open to all.\nRegister: https://streamyard.com/watch/dXGWyTaxUwgk ( https://streamyard.com/watch/dXGWyTaxUwgk )\n\n
URL:https://streamyard.com/watch/dXGWyTaxUwgk
CATEGORIES:Webinars
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UID:MEC-7c331984270618ab3309eab0628d502b@cast-science.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T130000
DTSTAMP:20260826T031602Z
CREATED:20260826
LAST-MODIFIED:20260826
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:1
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Lunch-N-Learn: Integrated Management of Fire-Adapted Invasive Plants That Change Wildfire Regimes
DESCRIPTION:Invasive plants and wildfire reinforce each other in ways that make both harder to manage. Invasive species alter fire behavior — some carry flames faster, others burn hotter — and fire, in turn, creates disturbed conditions that accelerate invasion. Addressing either problem effectively means understanding both.\nOn September 22, CAST is co-hosting the NCFAR Lunch-N-Learn on Capitol Hill, bringing together three leading weed scientists to examine this two-way relationship and what it demands of policy. Speakers will walk through integrated pest management approaches — biological, chemical, cultural, and mechanical control methods — and restoration strategies following invasion and wildfire. Regional case studies from California, the Southeast, and the Great Plains illustrate how these dynamics play out across distinct ecosystems and fire regimes.\nThis session draws directly from CAST’s issue paper Integrated Management of Fire-Adapted Invasive Plants That Change Wildfire Regimes, published April 2026.\nEvent Details\n\nDate: Tuesday, September 22, 2026\nTime: 12:00–1:00 p.m. ET\nLocation: 1300 Longworth, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.\nLunch is provided for in-person attendees\nPre-registration is required\n\nSpeakers\n\nMatt Baur, Director, Western Integrated Pest Management Center\nTom Getts, Weed Ecology and Cropping Systems Advisor, UC Cooperative Extension\nGreg Dahl, Western Society of Weed Science\n\n\n
URL:https://www.ncfar.org/Education/Lunch-N-Learn-Series
LOCATION:1300 Longworth, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
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UID:MEC-48fb127b689324f6a7105a867b279415@cast-science.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261026T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261029T000000
DTSTAMP:20260605T084418Z
CREATED:20260605
LAST-MODIFIED:20260605
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:1
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:2026 CAST Annual Meeting & Student Innovation Conference
DESCRIPTION:The CAST Annual Meeting brings together leaders in agricultural science, science communication, and innovation for a dynamic three-day event hosted by Bayer CropScience in St. Louis, MO. Under the theme “Science That Feeds Tomorrow,” this gathering asks a defining question: as the world and agriculture undergo profound change, which researchers and research areas are building the foundation for a resilient and productive future?\nCAST Student Members, CAST Board of Directors, and CAST Workgroups will engage in keynote presentations, panel discussions, and tours showcasing the latest in agricultural research and innovation.\nRegistration is open to CAST Student Members, CAST Board of Directors, and CAST Board of Representatives. All registered participants are welcome at every event except the closed Board of Directors session on Wednesday morning.\n\n
URL:https://cast-science.org/2026-cast-annual-meeting/
CATEGORIES:Annual Meeting,Student Innovation Conference
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