Saint Louis Science Center marks 10 years of GROW with agriculture panel

The Saint Louis Science Center marked the 10th anniversary of its GROW program with a panel discussion focused on the future of agriculture, according to the center. The event brought together leaders from industry and research to talk about AI, data and the challenges facing food production.

How GROW has connected visitors to agriculture

GROW is a Science Center program that helps guests learn about agriculture through hands-on exhibits, immersive experiences and examples from the real world. The center says the program shows how food moves from farm to table and highlights the science behind farming and food systems.

According to the Science Center, GROW has spent the past decade helping visitors see the people, technologies and processes involved in feeding communities and the wider world. The anniversary event was designed to highlight that work while looking ahead to new ideas in agriculture.

Experts discussed technology and the next decade

The panel was titled The Future of Agriculture: AI, Data, and the Next Decade of Innovation. It was presented with help from 39 North and Taylor Geospatial, and Elliott Kellner, president of Taylor Geospatial, served as moderator.

Panelists included:

• Kelly Gillespie of Bayer Crop Science
• Kevin Glauber of Bunge
• Kendal Quandahl of Case IH
• Dr. David Spielman of the WashU Brown School of Public Health

According to the Science Center, the conversation covered artificial intelligence, precision agriculture, data analytics, sustainability and supply chain resilience. The panel also addressed innovations that could help feed a growing global population.

Why the event matters to everyday readers

The Science Center said programs like GROW are meant to connect learners of all ages with the science and technology shaping daily life. Agriculture affects the food people buy, the systems that move products to stores and the ways farms adapt to changing needs.

The organization describes itself as a free, nonprofit science center with hundreds of hands-on experiences. It says its mission is to inspire curiosity in science, and notes that it has been a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate since 2016. The center also features the OMNIMAX Theater and the James S. McDonnell Planetarium.

About the Saint Louis Science Center

According to the center, visitors can explore its exhibits and programs at its St. Louis campus, with free admission available to guests. The Science Center said more information is available through its website and public events calendar.

For the anniversary of GROW, the message was clear: agriculture is changing, and tools such as data and AI are becoming part of that change. The Science Center used the milestone to connect its educational mission with a broader discussion about how food production may evolve in the years ahead.

Source: Hailey West