Forums
Farm Foundation Forum: Automation for a Resilient Future for Agriculture
September 18, 2025
Via Zoom
This Forum will took place, Thursday, September 18th at 9 a.m. CT
Watch the Recording
As the US agriculture industry faces labor challenges, rising costs, and increasing demand for sustainable practices, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) may offer critical solutions to ensure resilience, efficiency, and opportunity. This Farm Foundation Forum will focus on exploring the transformative potential and the potential downsides of automation across the U.S. food and agriculture value chain.
Presenters
Nathan Dorn is the Director of Industry Relations at F3 Innovate, where he supports the acceleration of ag technology adoption through education, competition, training, funding, and partnerships between farmers and technologists.
Elizabeth Fastiggi is the Chief Product Officer at Idealyst Innovation. She identifies and develops products and services for farmers and ranchers to empower them to address the greatest risks they face today and in the future. She is inspired to create solutions across the sector that create a healthier, transparent, and inclusive food system.
Shail Khiyara is the CEO of SWARM. A recognized global thought leader in AI and automation, Shail has built and scaled leading companies across the tech landscape. He founded VOCAL, a global AI think tank, and is widely published on AI strategy, adoption, and innovation in business.
Ben Palone is the Senior Director of Automation and Commercialization at Western Growers Association. With over 20 years of experience in agricultural and industrial equipment industries, Ben leads innovation efforts to advance automation in farming, helping growers adopt cutting-edge technologies that drive efficiency and keep the industry future-ready.