Ag-Tech Takes Center Stage at World Ag Expo

Article published on February 18, 2026 in Agri-Pulse West Edition

Author: Brad Hooker

The World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif. (WAE photo)

• Leaders are positioning innovation, automation and workforce training as central to agricultureʼs long-term competitiveness.

• State and regional efforts aim to turn research into market-ready tools while building a pipeline of skilled workers to support adoption.

• Success depends on making technology practical and accessible, especially for small operations.

Innovation dominated conversations at World Ag Expo last week, from the opening ceremonyʼs spotlight on emerging technologies to new product launches and a deep dive with the California State Board of Food and Agriculture on how ag-tech is reshaping production, workforce needs and regional economies.

The broad narrative was that the Central Valley is no longer just a production hub and is becoming a center for developing, testing and scaling the technologies that will define the future of farming.

F3 frames innovation as agricultureʼs identity

At the opening ceremony, Priscilla Koepke, CEO of F3 Innovate, positioned the Top-10 New Products Contest as more than a showcase — as a symbol of agricultureʼs evolution.

“These ideas celebrated here today are what agriculture needs right now,” Koepke told attendees. “Their solutions can tackle real challenges on real farms. They strengthen the food system and they ensure agriculture will thrive.”

Priscilla Koepke, CEO of F3 Innovate

She emphasized that innovation is already reshaping the industry.

“The innovations in agriculture arenʼt just essential, theyʼre also inspiring,” she said.

Koepke framed the F3 Initiative as an effort to build an innovation economy around agriculture in the Central Valley, linking startups, workforce development and commercialization.

“Everything we do at F3-I is about getting smart ideas in the hands of the people who need them the most and when they need them,” she said.

She described the Top-10 contest as a visible marker of progress.

“Seeing the Top-10 product winners recognized today reminds us that this work matters, because each winner is helping shape a stronger, smarter and more resilient food system,” she said.

Statewide innovation push takes shape

That message carried into the board meeting, where Gabe Youtsey, chief innovation officer at University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, laid out the stateʼs strategy to scale agricultural technology.

“Things are really unlocking for innovation and agriculture,” said Youtsey.

He described the California AgTech Alliance as a coordinated effort to connect universities, startups, industry and farmers into a statewide innovation network that focuses on scaling up new technologies. The alliance is backed by a $28 million investment through the stateʼs California Jobs First program.

“A drop in the bucket for what we need, but a serious investment by the state of California into the future of agriculture through agricultural technology,” he said.

Youtsey said UC ANRʼs statewide footprint — with presence in every county, research centers and extension advisors — positions it to move new technologies “from the lab into field and industry,” then help scale them commercially.

He pushed back on the notion that ag-tech is a distant concept.

“Things are here right now,” said Youtsey. “Thereʼs new automations, technologies that you could buy today that are hitting the market and are being useful.”

At the same time, he acknowledged that some tools, particularly biologicals, may take “three, five or 10 years” to prove themselves in the marketplace.

Small farms, adoption challenges take spotlight

Following Youtseyʼs presentation, the board shiDed to ag-tech opportunities in the southern San Joaquin Valley and Southern California, hearing from Tim Ellsworth, an agricultural technology instructor at Coalinga College; Rebekka Siemens, a Kern County farmer who partnered with the Community Alliance with Family Farmers on a report on small farms and the future of ag-tech; and farmer Jason Gianelli, who serves on the advocacy group California Water Alliance.

The discussion moved from the big-picture innovation ecosystem to on-the-ground realities — particularly for small and mid-sized farms trying to adopt new technologies.

Siemens said one consistent finding from her work interviewing growers was that farmers want a voice earlier in the innovation process.

“The need for direct input from small-scale farmers during the technology development and funding and adoption process is something that came up over and over again,” she said.

She noted that while the average farm size in the region appears large on paper, the median acreage shows there are many small operations that risk being left behind.

The panel highlighted practical needs that technology could address — particularly irrigation tools, cold storage, and better multilingual support for training and adoption.

Siemens pointed to on-farm cold storage as a major opportunity, saying it can improve product quality, increase prices and reduce waste for smaller operations.

Bridging the gap from idea to adoption

Ellsworth and other panelists emphasized that the industry itself is increasingly stepping in to train workers and support adoption.

He pointed to examples of companies creating in-house training programs focused on sensors, irrigation technology and automation — partnerships that help build a workforce ready to operate advanced equipment.

The broader discussion echoed a theme Youtsey raised earlier: that innovation doesnʼt succeed unless it reaches farms and fits into existing operations.

Panelists said adoption barriers remain significant, including cost, connectivity and trust in new tools. Broadband access, equipment sharing programs and hands-on training were cited as essential to expanding use.

The farmers also raised concerns about data privacy and ensuring technology companies donʼt profit unfairly from farm-generated data.

The conversation tied innovation directly to regional economic development.

Youtsey had described ag-tech as an emerging sector on par with other technology industries, with the potential to bring new jobs to rural communities.

The panel reinforced that idea, highlighting the importance of workforce training and education programs that connect high schools, community colleges and universities to ag-tech careers.

The goal, they explained, is not just to create tools but to build a pipeline of workers and entrepreneurs who can sustain the industry.

Read the full article online at: https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/24221-ag-tech-takes-center-stage-at-world-ag-expo