F3i Launches Supercomputing Center to Bring Advanced Computing to California Agriculture, Food, and Life Sciences

Last week, F3 Innovate officially launched the F3i Supercomputing Center, bringing together leaders from agriculture, government, higher education, technology, research, and philanthropy to mark a significant investment in the future of California’s food and agriculture economy.

Congressman Jim Costa and Assemblymembers David Tangipa and Esmeralda Soria celebrate the launch of the F3i Supercomputing Center alongside AI Launchpad high school students and F3i CEO, board members, and champions: Priscilla Koepke of F3i; Ashley Swearengin of the Central Valley Community Foundation; Drew Ketelsen of HMC Farms; Casey Creamer of the California Fresh Fruit Association; Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval of Fresno State; Linda Nguyen of Microsoft; and Glenda Humiston of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Created in partnership with Fresno State and the San Diego Supercomputer Center, the new platform was created in response to a practical challenge: agriculture is generating more data than ever, but the computing power and technical expertise required to turn that data into useful tools have often been expensive, difficult to access, or concentrated within major research institutions and technology companies. The F3i Supercomputing Center brings advanced computing, data science expertise, AI model development, technical support, and workforce training together in a shared regional resource designed around the needs of California food, agriculture, and life sciences.

F3i Supercomputing Center live demonstration.

During the launch, F3i Director of Innovation Ryan Dinubilo led a live demonstration showing how an agricultural question can move from scattered data to actionable insight. The demonstration walked attendees through organizing information, analyzing multiple years of data, identifying patterns, developing forecasts, and using those findings to support real-world decisions. HMC Farms also shared how it is working with F3i to apply AI to decades of operational data, work that can reduce analyses that once took days or weeks to a much faster process when decisions about harvest timing, quality, labor, and production require minute-to-minute precision.

Pictured are F3i board members and Supercomputing Center partners, including Fresno State President Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. Melissa Floca of the San Diego Supercomputer Center is not pictured. Also pictured are AI Launchpad students spending the week at Fresno State learning to build AI models using resources available through the F3i Supercomputing Center.

The launch brought together Congressman Jim Costa; Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval; California Assemblymembers Esmeralda Soria and David Tangipa; Central Valley Community Foundation President and CEO Ashley Swearengin; UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Vice President Glenda Humiston; Microsoft TechSpark Lead Linda Nguyen; California Fresh Fruit Association President and CEO Casey Creamer; HMC Farms Vice President Drew Ketelsen; and representatives from the UC San Diego Supercomputer Center and F3 Innovate. Together, they emphasized that AI and advanced computing are becoming essential infrastructure for agriculture and that the Central Valley should not simply adopt technologies developed elsewhere, but lead in building, testing, and applying new tools alongside the growers, researchers, students, and industry leaders who know agriculture best.

Drew Ketelsen, Vice President of HMC Farms, discusses the research partnership that puts HMC farms’ data to work using the computing tools provided through the new F3i Supercomputing Center.

The Center is designed for a wide range of users. Growers and agricultural businesses can use it to analyze field, sensor, production, and operational data; startups and entrepreneurs can access the computing power needed to develop, test, and validate new technologies without purchasing expensive hardware; researchers and universities can run large models, analyze complex datasets, and move applied research closer to deployment; and educators and students can build practical AI skills through programs such as F3i’s AI Launchpad and Data Challenges, helping prepare the next generation of agricultural and technology professionals.

This access is especially important for the Central Valley. The region faces some of the country’s most urgent agricultural challenges, from water scarcity and climate volatility to labor constraints and supply-chain disruption. It also has the growers, data, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry knowledge needed to develop solutions. By making advanced computing more affordable and accessible in the Central Valley, the Center can help move ideas into working projects, working projects into new products and businesses, and new technologies into the fields and operations where they can have the greatest impact.

Access the F3i Supercomputing Center

Educational access is free, and new users can begin with $100 in computing credits valid for 90 days. Commercial users can begin through flexible, pay-as-you-go access and scale as their project needs grow. Priority access is available to California-based startups, researchers, and educators working in agriculture and life sciences, with an emphasis on Central Valley users.

Have an agricultural problem, dataset, or idea? Sign up for the F3i Supercomputing Center and talk with our team about how to get started. For general inquiries, contact info@f3innovate.org. For technical access and project support, contact ryan@f3innovate.org.