• Date: October 19, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
• Location: Yakima SunDome – Fair State Room
• This event is free to attend, but we ask people to register to get a proper headcount of attendance

Register for the event HERE

This event is an introductory primer for FIRA USA that aims to equip engineers and technology developers with essential specialty fruit horticultural practices, operational insights, and field considerations to improve collaborations between the agricultural technology industry and growers to solve real-world agricultural challenges. Participants will learn how the biology of specialty fruit crops has informed the transition to specialized training systems and trellises, the goals and timing of pruning and thinning decisions throughout the season, soil, irrigation, and nutrient management considerations, pest and disease monitoring, spray application and sprayer types, and key metrics used to guide harvest and postharvest storage decisions.

Technology start-ups, engineering and robotics graduate students, ag-tech developers, and anyone interested in learning the foundational science and practical operations of modern specialty fruit production in Washington state.

The event will be presented in a series of station rotations, with attendees divided up into groups initially.

Five rotating stations:

• specialty crop trellising and training,
• crop load management and pruning science,
• soil nutrition and irrigation management,
• integrated pest and disease management, and
• harvest and storage considerations

More to come soon!