The tractors might be driverless, but driving the adoption of emerging technologies on farms requires more than just good marketing — it takes collaboration between growers and innovators.

Creating space for that collaboration and conversation is the goal of the FIRA USA conference, which will be held in Yakima, Washington, Oct. 22–24, said Maialen Cazenave, co-director of GOFAR, the Global Organization for Agricultural Robotics. The French organization has been organizing the FIRA conference in Europe for a decade and first brought the event to the U.S. in California four years ago. 

“We are not a tech company; we are not a lobby group. We are a community builder, bringing together farmers, innovators, researchers and investors around a shared challenge: How do we farm more efficiently, more sustainably and with fewer hands?” Cazenave said.

The move to Yakima for 2026 represents an opportunity to connect to a broad market of specialty crop growers in the Pacific Northwest, Cazenave said during a press conference announcing the event this spring. 

“The move to Washington is not a coincidence,” she said. “Farms here are under enormous pressures. Growers are looking for technology that will work in their fields, their conditions and at their scale.” 

While historically focused on agricultural robotics, this year FIRA will expand its scope to a wider array of ag tech solutions, including irrigation, weed and canopy management technologies. 

The event — part trade show, part conference and part ag tech matchmaking — is sponsored by GOFAR, Yakima County and the county’s development association. The Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission is also serving as a planning and promotional partner. Growers can register to attend for free at: fira-usa.com.

It’s an opportunity for growers in the Pacific Northwest to learn more about emerging technologies and to showcase the collaborative approach to progressive farming that the region is known for, said Ines Hanrahan, executive director of the research commission.

“It’s great to expose our community to new technologies that they haven’t considered, and it’s good to talk amongst commodities, to talk with peers from other specialty crops, about how they tackle problems,” she said. 

Gabe Youtsey, the chief innovation officer for University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, said that advancing ag tech adoption remains a critical part of protecting the economy in rural communities. He was closely involved in the FIRA events in the Central Valley.

“This is an event to engage growers. The demo-zone is so powerful,” he said. “So, why did I allow it to escape? We need to build these solutions all over the U.S.” 

In California, the events offered a platform to introduce students to the new era of opportunities being created in agriculture, he said. 

Similarly, on Thursday, Oct. 22, FIRA will also host “Campus Day,” designed to introduce students to emerging technologies and the way farms will work in the future. 

The FIRA agenda includes sessions aimed at growers and those aimed at tech developers, such as understanding the role of state and federal regulations. Daily robot demonstrations will take place in simulated orchards, vineyards and crop fields set up on the fairgrounds. 

Highlights will include smart irrigation findings from the Smart Orchard project from Washington State University and the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission; training strategies to help farmworkers build tech-savvy skills; grower experiences with on-farm robot integration; insights into financing new technologies; and discussion tables to brainstorm new ag tech solutions. •