Multistate Research Fund: Automation for Specialty Crops 
Funded in part by USDA-NIFA Multistate Research Fund 

Researchers at land-grant universities are working together—and with Extension professionals and industry partners—to develop automated systems that help optimize specialty crop production. Over the last five years, this project has made major advances in: 

• Identifying key parameters for specialty crop production and developing sensors to measure them.
• Developing specialty crop production systems that are more amenable to mechanization.
• Designing automated systems and working with manufacturers and farmers to commercialize and implement them.

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station: How Generative AI and Microcontroller Programming Can Support Agricultural Education 
Primary Funding Source: USDA Hatch 

Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT show promise as a way to write simple computer programs for microcontrollers. Computer programming is not typically taught in most undergraduate agricultural programs, but microcontrollers like Arduinos are now commonly used in climate and irrigation controls, food processing systems, and robotic and drone applications. A recent study published in the Natural Sciences Education journal showed agricultural students can use generative artificial intelligence to write code to solve moderately difficult programming problems without any deep knowledge of programming. This exercise increased students’ programming confidence and ability, which should 

Auburn University: Bringing Automation to Forest Production with Precision Tools 
Primary Funding Source: USDA Hatch 

This project will develop autonomous technology to track logging equipment productivity in real time. By adding smart sensors with minimal operator input, it will give loggers faster feedback and clearer insight into external factors affecting performance. The data will support decision tools that reduce risk, boost efficiency, and improve profitability in precision forestry. 

Fort Valley State University: Detecting sericea lespedeza with artificial intelligence 
Primary Funding Source: Other USDA Capacity - Research 

Farmers are seeking cost-effective ways to improve the health of their animals and increase overall productivity. A crop gaining popularity in many states among farmers with sheep and goats (small ruminants) is sericea lespedeza. Because of the high demand, Fort Valley State University researchers are developing an app to benefit farmers growing this desired crop in Georgia and beyond. This research involves artificial intelligence to manage invasive plant weed species through advanced image recognition technologies. 

Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station: Using large-scale, real-world data to improve farm management practices 
Primary Funding Source: USDA Hatch 

The Data-Intensive Farm Management Project, housed at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, leverages precision data from farmers' own fields to help make more efficient management decisions and increase profits. DIFM uses precision agriculture technology, with researchers and farmers working together conducting large-scale, on-farm “checkerboard” field trials, gathering vast amounts of data on how crop yields respond to input application rates, field characteristics, and weather. The goal of DIFM is to revolutionize farm management, working with farmers and crop consultants to implement scientific experiments on their own farms, enabling them to increase profits by making data-driven management decisions. The farmer conducted on-farm trials are part of a system that includes development of software that farmers and consultants can use to design and analyze data from their on-farm experiments. 

LSU Ag Center: Enabling Efficient Sugarcane Processing using Sensor and Data-Driven Approaches 
Primary Funding Source: USDA Hatch 

The project addresses issues with sugarcane processing such as working with large volumes of data, real-time rapid analyses of processing parameters, and better understanding of efficiencies in factory production. There are also workforce challenges faced by the industry (recruiting and retention, particularly of younger workers locally) which are likely to worsen with time. Generation of workforce-related materials illustrates the scope of work in Louisiana factories, which can benefit the industry in sourcing local workforce. The broader public would have a greater appreciation of the role that Louisiana's sugarcane industry plays in society and its contribution to the state's economy and workforce. 

New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station: Harnessing Drone Technology for Early Disease Detection in Corn Fields 
Primary Funding Source: McIntire-Stennis 

New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station researchers, University of New Hampshire (UNH) Farm Operations staff and UNH Extension specialists are applying and assessing the use of drones with multispectral imaging to detect corn diseases earlier, making this technology accessible and practical for small and medium-sized farms. 

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: AI solutions for agriculture’s most pressing problems  
Funding sources: USDA AFRI and Hatch 

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign created the AI for Future Agricultural Resilience, Management, and Sustainability (AIFARMS) National AI Institute for Agriculture to tackle challenges such as meeting global demand for food, reducing environmental impacts of farming, increasing affordability, and enhancing accessibility. The institute leverages dramatic advancements in AI, such as low-cost semi-autonomous systems that augment human efforts.  

MONTHS

National Apple Month, #NationalAppleMonth
National Hispanic Heritage Month, #HispanicHeritageMonth (September 15 – October 15)
National Pasta Month, #NationalPastaMonth
National Pizza Month, #NationalPizzaMonth
National Pork Month, #NationalPorkMonth
National Sausage Month, #NationalSausageMonth
National Seafood Month, #NationalSeafoodMonth
Vegetarian Month, #VegetarianMonth

WEEKS

October 5-11: National Fire Prevention Week, #FirePreventionWeek
October 5-11: National 4-H Week, #4HBeyondReady
October 12-18: National Veterinary Technician Week, #NVTW

DAYS

October 1: International Coffee Day, #InternationalCoffeeDay
October 1: World Vegetarian Day, #WorldVegetarianDay
October 5: World Teachers' Day, #WorldTeacherDay
October 6: World Habitat Day, #WorldHabitatDay
October 7: National Taco Day, #NationalTacoDay
October 10: World Egg Day, #WorldEggDay
October 12: National Farmer’s Day, #NationalFarmersDay
October 13: Indigenous Peoples’ Day, #IndigenousPeoplesDay
October 15: International Day of Rural Women, #RuralWomen
October 16: World Food Day, #WorldFoodDay
October 20: Anniversary of Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994
October 21: National Apple Day, #NationalAppleDay
October 22: National Nut Day, #NationalNutDay
October 24: National Food Day, #NationalFood Day
October 26: National Pumpkin Day, #NationalPumpkinDay
October 28: National Chocolate Day, #NationalChocolateDay

^{Source: October - National Day Calendar}