Home > Events > Industry Events > Optica AgriPhotonics Industry Summit at Grand Farm

Program

Optica AgriPhotonics Industry Summit at Grand Farm

10 - 11 June 2025

Grand Farm Innovation Campus
Fargo, North Dakota UNITED STATES

Monday, 09 June

Start Time	Event
6:00 PM Würst Bier Hall - Downtown Location	Optional Welcome Dinner hosted by Optica We invite you to join us for dinner and networking at the Würst Bier Hall. Meet with other industry leaders in a casual and unique environment the night before the event starts! Dinner location is just minutes away from the host hotel.

Start Time

Event

6:00 PM
Würst Bier Hall - Downtown Location

Optional Welcome Dinner hosted by Optica

We invite you to join us for dinner and networking at the Würst Bier Hall. Meet with other industry leaders in a casual and unique environment the night before the event starts! Dinner location is just minutes away from the host hotel.

All scheduled events, except reception and welcome dinner, are at:
Grand Farm Innovation Campus
3717 153rd Ave SE, Wheatland, ND 58079

Tuesday, 10 June

Day 1: Integrating Photonics in Precision Agriculture

Time	Events & Presenters	Affiliations & Program Notes
7:15 - 7:30	Bus pickup from Jasper Hotel	Bus will leave at 7:30 sharp
8:10 - 9:00	Networking Continental Breakfast
9:00 - 9:15	Opening Remarks	Description ▼ Welcome and strategic overview from key organizers and partners. Objectives of the AgriPhotonics Summit, its role in shaping future agricultural technologies.
	Jose Pozo	Optica
	Andrew Jason	Grand Farm
	Jason Yager	Montana Photonics & Quantum Alliance
9:15 - 9:45	Keynote Precision Agriculture & Equipment Intergration
	Zachary Bonefas	John Deere
9:45 - 10:15	Joint Keynote Integrated Aerial Platforms for Hyperspectral Agriculture
	Casey Smith	Resonon
	Shawn Roberts	Vision Aerial
10:15 - 11:00	Networking Break
11:00 - 12:00	Panel Discussion: Understanding the Needs of End-Users	Description ▼ Hear directly from farmers, agribusiness leaders, and end-users about their biggest challenges, needs, and expectations from photonics technologies. This session fosters a reality check for innovators and offers actionable insights for solution alignment.
Moderator	Andrew Jason	Grand Farm
	Jeremy Sinner	SB & B Foods
	Noreen Thomas	Doubting Thomas Farms
	Kyle Courtney	Rentease
	Stavros Pissadakis	Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH)
12:00 - 13:00	Session 1: Hyperspectral and Multispectral Imaging Applications	Description ▼ Dive deeper into use cases where hyperspectral and multispectral imaging are delivering measurable benefits. Learn how different spectral bands support early disease detection, nutrient assessment, and yield prediction across various crops.
	Rick Holasek	Corning Aerospace & Defense
	Paul Nugent	NWB Sensors/Montana State University
	Xavier Hebert-Couturier	Picketa Systems
12:45 - 14:00	Lunch
14:30 - 15:00	Keynote Strategic Innovation in Agriculture
	Sachi Desai	Bayer
15:00 - 15:45	Session 2: Advanced Remote Sensing Technologies for Crop Health Management	Description ▼ Examine how satellite, aerial, and drone-based remote sensing platforms are revolutionizing the way we assess and manage crop health. Understand the roles of spatial resolution, temporal frequency, and data-bs analytics in these applications.
	Zach Kabelac	Aperture Space
	Nathan Faleide	Satshot
15:45 - 16:20	Networking Break
16:20 - 17:15	Session 3: Photonics Technologies in Precision Agriculture	Description ▼ This session showcases a range of photonics solutions tailored for field applications, from sensor systems and machine learning integration to novel approaches in monitoring soil and plant health. See the future of farming technology in action.
	Lex Oosterveld	OnePlanet
	Steffen Schneider	Asphericon Inc.
	Todd Colten	Sentera
	Stavros Pissadakis	Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH)
17:25 - 17:55	Invited Talk
	Tim Van Reken	Headwaters Tech Club
17:55 - 18:00	Closing Remarks & Wrap Up
18:10	Bus to Reception at Jasper Hotel
18:30	Reception at Jasper Hotel Ballroom

Wednesday, 11 June

Day 2: Expanding the Horizons of AgriPhotonics

Address the global challenge of feeding a growing population under the constraints of climate change and limited resources. This keynote explores how photonics-enabled innovations can ensure long-term food security and economic resilience.

Time	Events & Presenters	Affiliations & Program Notes
7:15 - 7:30	Bus Pickup from Jasper Hotel	Bus will leave at 7:30 sharp
8:10 - 9:00	Networking Continental Breakfast
9:00 - 9:05	Welcome Remarks
9:05 - 9:35	Keynote Smart Farming at Scale
	Adam Gilberston	RDO Equipment Co.
9:35 - 10:35	Session 4: Leveraging UASs/UGSs for Agricultural Management	Description ▼ Understand the unique advantages of unmanned aerial and ground systems (UASs & UGSs) in delivering photonic data-bs for precision agriculture. From flight planning to data-bs analysis, explore how drones and robotics in the field are becoming indispensable tools for modern farming.
	Kris Poulson	FarmQA
	Ahmed Rabia	North Dakota State University
	Joao Paulo Flores	North Dakota State University
	Sadie Kolsen	Vision Aerial
10:35- 11:20	Networking Break
11:20 - 11:50	Extended Presentation: Integrated Photonics makes its way into Precision Agriculture	Address the global challenge of feeding a growing population under the constraints of climate change and limited resources. This keynote explores how photonics-enabled innovations can ensure long-term food security and economic resilience.
	Stefan Heinemann	PHIX Photonic Assembly
11:50 - 12:05	Session 5: Spotlight Session: Circular Agritech and Regenerative Systems for Sustainable Food Production	Description ▼ In this spotlight session, we explore an innovative agritech model that transforms local food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer and powers sustainable food production through closed-loop systems. HeartFoods Group is pioneering a new category of circular agriculture — integrating vertical farming, hydroponics, bioenergy, and regenerative practices — all designed around net-zero goals for water, carbon, waste, and energy.
	Mark Buehrer	HeartFoods Group, PBC
12:05 - 12:35	Closing Keynote Frontiers in AgriPhotonics	Description ▼ Engage in a facilitated, hands-on session to explore design thinking strategies and co-creation methods for developing effective photonics solutions. Focus on identifying shared challenges and building impactful collaborations between stakeholders.
	Noel Anderson	Noel Anderson.biz The presentation explores three frontier outposts at the intersection of photonics and agriculture with the potential to transform precision crop and soil management. First, terahertz imaging is advancing as a non-destructive technique to probe internal structures and constituents in plants, grains, and soil. Second, new plant varieties are being developed—through both genetic engineering and conventional breeding—that exhibit distinctive electromagnetic signatures in response to stresses or physiological states, enabling enhanced sensing of plant health and soil attributes. Third, innovations in AI, machine learning, and quantum computing may drive better, faster, and cheaper design of agriphotonic systems. This presentation aims to raise awareness of these powerful technologies and encourage participants to envision how they might apply them to address agricultural challenges they and their customers face.
12:35- 12:40	Closing Remarks
12:40 - 13:40	Lunch
13:40 - 16:30	Optional Company Tour - Grand Farm Field Day	Description ▼ Take part in an exclusive tour showcasing cutting-edge agri-tech in action. Experience live demonstrations, meet with innovators, and explore the field deployments of technologies at the Grand Farm Innovation Center. Field Days are a chance for growers, companies, start-ups and the community to share knowledge on agriculture technology and best practices from seed to soil and harvesting. Bring your boots, we are going in the field!

Program

Optica AgriPhotonics Industry Summit at Grand Farm

Monday, 09 June

Tuesday, 10 June

Day 1: Integrating Photonics in Precision Agriculture

Wednesday, 11 June

Day 2: Expanding the Horizons of AgriPhotonics

Events

Membership

Industry Resources

Community

Careers

About