Cultivating AI Confidence: From Prompt to Practice
Tuesday, April 14, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Join us for a pre-conference that will demystify Artificial Intelligence (AI) and unlock its powerful potential for farm risk management, allowing you to empower farmers to make more informed, data-driven decisions and build greater resilience against an uncertain future.
We will explore how cutting-edge AI technologies are being used across the agricultural landscape and how they fit directly into managing risk on farms. By the end of this pre-conference, you will walk away with a clear understanding of how to integrate AI tools and concepts into your existing agricultural risk management curricula, examples and scenarios of how AI is currently being used to manage risk across different agricultural sectors and the skills and confidence needed to comfortably use AI tools.
Cost:
$50
Registration:
To register for the pre-conference ONLY, please email Katie at katien@umn.edu.
Agenda:
| Time | Speaker | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 p.m. | Curtis Mahnken, ERME | Welcome |
| 1:05 p.m. | Colin McFadden, Technology Architect in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota | What is AI, and why should I care? |
| 1:55 p.m. | Aaron Shew, Chief Technology Officer at Acres | AI in LandTech: From Adoption to Economic Impact |
| 2:45 p.m. | BREAK | |
| 3:15 p.m. | Chad Fiechter, Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University | AI in Decision-Making: Moving from Curiosity to Use |
| 4:05 p.m. | Q&A and Discussion | |
| 4:50 p.m. | Curtis Mahnken, ERME | Closing |
Speakers:
Colin McFadden is a Technology Architect in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, where he partners with faculty and staff to design technology that meaningfully supports research, teaching, and learning. His work emphasizes data stewardship, advanced imaging, and the responsible use of emerging technologies—including AI—in ways that align with academic values and long-term institutional impact.
He is particularly interested in making complex systems more approachable, transparent, and useful for the people who rely on them. When he’s not working, he can usually be found traveling, cooking, or rock climbing.
Dr. Aaron Shew is the Chief Technology Officer at Acres, where he helps guide the company’s approach to data, product, and technology in support of better land and real estate decisions. He holds master’s degrees in Geography and Agricultural Economics and a PhD in Environmental Dynamics from the University of Arkansas. With extensive experience in applied research and leadership, Dr. Shew focuses on turning complex land and market data into practical tools and insights used across real estate, financial services, and land-based industries.
Chad Fiechter is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. Before entering academia, he farmed with his family in northeastern Indiana, operating a diversified crop and livestock operation. His firsthand experience in farming shapes his research, teaching, and outreach in production economics, farm management, and agricultural finance.