The second day of the 2026 CAST Annual Meeting & Student Innovation Conference took attendees across St. Louis, from a crop science research campus to a zoo’s animal nutrition kitchen to a 19th-century brewery.
Business meeting at Bayer
The day began at Bayer’s Chesterfield campus. CAST’s Board of Directors and workgroup members met for the joint business meeting and listening session, and members of the Strategic Advisory Council (SAC) observed.
During the meeting, SAC Chair Ray Starling received the 2026 CAST President’s Award virtually. He is the second recipient this year: David Baltensperger, professor of soil and crop sciences at Texas A&M University, received the award on opening night.
Touring Bayer’s Chesterfield campus
Student members joined mid-morning for a tour of the campus, Bayer’s crop science research site in the St. Louis area. Attendees saw the campus’s exhibit spaces and research facilities.
Lunch with Suraksha Baral
At a lunch hosted by Bayer, Suraksha Baral, recipient of the 2025 CAST Science Communication Scholarship, presented “Science Communication: Bridging the Information–Knowledge–Action Gap.” Baral is a Ph.D. student in agricultural, environmental and development economics at The Ohio State University.
She drew on her research and outreach work, from composting and farmer trainings to a food waste campaign and her Can Fairy recycling program in Columbus, Ohio. From these she set out six lessons for communicating agricultural science:
- Explain the why.
- Address the fears, not just the benefits.
- Show, don’t just tell.
- Match the message to the moment.
- Be specific.
- Measure what people do, not just what they say.
Her closing slide put it plainly: “Gene editing, biologicals, nutrient stewardship, AI: the science is ready. Adoption depends on how we communicate it.”
Saint Louis Zoo
In the afternoon, the group traveled to the Saint Louis Zoo and split into two tours. Half of the attendees went behind the scenes at the zoo’s Animal Nutrition Center, including its kitchen and feed storage. The other half visited the zoo’s Institute for Conservation Medicine. Both tours sparked good discussion.
Anheuser-Busch Brewery
The last stop was the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis. Attendees toured the historic brewery and visited the Clydesdale stables.
Dinner on The Hill
The day ended with dinner at Favazza’s on The Hill, St. Louis’s historic Italian neighborhood.
What’s next
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, the CAST Board of Directors and SAC members meet at the hotel to plan for 2027.
CAST thanks Bayer for hosting the 2026 Annual Meeting & Student Innovation Conference, and BASF, Corteva, Syngenta and Vylor for their support.
