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AI in Ag Camp

This 4-week Smart Ag Camp, sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an exciting, innovative educational program and a rare opportunity that provides drone flight training and hands-on engineering projects to all the participants. Supervised by scientists and specialists at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (UTK), participants will learn about the newest information in AI, work in teams on smart ag projects, and experience the fascinating drone technology through drone racing training and competitions.  

Dates of Programming 
This program will be held from Monday, June 1 through Friday, June 26, 2026. 

How Can I Apply for This Program? 
The application is open from January 15 through March 27, 2026. Two rounds of reviews of the applications will be conducted by the program staff. The first round will be conducted in early March and the second review will be the first week of April. Notifications of acceptance will be sent after each round of reviews, around March 15 and April 15, respectively. The application portal will be closed once the maximum number of qualified participants is met.

  • Provide academic training related to engineering and artificial intelligence (AI) 
  • Offer opportunities for career exploration in smart agriculture and other STEM areas
  • Prepare participants as a future drone remote pilot  
  • Create a Tennessee 4-H Drone Racing Team, the first of its kind  

Program Staff 
The scientists and specialists who will be conducting the program are experienced UT faculty members with national reputations in their areas of specializations and graduate students in the areas of smart agriculture for the University of Tennessee Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science. 
 
Cost to Attend 
All costs will be covered by UTK and USDA. However, parents of each participant are responsible for transporting their children to the UTK campus or to the pick-up/drop locations along I-40 (See “Transportation” below). There is also a $100 deposit per participate required. Once applicants have been chosen to participate in the camp, an invoice will be sent for the $100. This will be due May 15. The deposit will be refunded upon the conclusion of the program June 26.

Program Overview  

Week Program Activities 
1 Training with Instructors: Basic Drone Control  
Online Course Learning: Introduction to Drones 
Lectures – AI in Agriculture 
2 Self-Guided Training: Drone Racing for Beginners  
Online Course Learning – Introduction to Drones 
Lectures – AI in Agriculture Training with Instructor:
Advanced Drone Racing  Field Tours – Applications of AI in Agriculture 
3 Self-Guided Training: Advanced Drone Racing 
Project #1: Building a Farmbot (Robotic Farm Assistant) 
4 Self-guided Training: Advanced Drone Racing 
Project #2: Agricultural IoT  Drone Racing Competition 

 
Transportation 
Central and Western Region 4-H members will be transported to and from Knoxville, while Eastern Region 4-H members should plan to be transported by parents or 4-H agents.  
All participants will stay on the UT Knoxville campus from Sunday night to Friday morning. Each will return home on Friday afternoon each week. One of the staff members will drive along I-40 for the pick-up/drop-off, and parents will be responsible for transporting their children to the pick-up/drop locations.  

Housing and Meals 
Once participants have arrived on campus, they will be housed in air-conditioned comfort of the UT Knoxville residence halls (Sunday evening – Friday morning each week). All their meals will be provided by the program, and most will be on campus at the University Cafeteria.  
 
How Can I Apply for This Program? 
Applicants will need to fill out the Application for AI in Ag by March 27, 2026. Applications will be reviewed by program staff members the first week of April, and notifications of acceptance will be sent by the end of April. 

Sponsorship 
The Smart Ag Camp is conducted through a cooperative effort by UT Extension, the University of Tennessee Herbert College of Agriculture, and UT AgResearch. This event is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (Award NO. 2024-67037-42797). 

What You Should Bring 

  • Sheets, blanket, pillow and/or sleeping bag for a twin bed  
  • Towels and washcloth  
  • Soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, other toiletries
  • Comfortable walking shoes (2 pairs)  
  • Closed-toed shoes 
  • Raincoat or umbrella, light jacket or hoodie for cool weather  
  • Appropriate clothing (Sports clothes in good taste will be appropriate for most of the conference. No cut-offs, tank tops, inappropriate words/images on attire or short shorts)  
  • Alarm clock/Watch or time piece  
  • Bathing suit (This should be appropriate)  
  • Consider bringing some work-type clothing  
  • Water bottle  
  • Prescription medications (Must be in the original bottle) and 600-M form
  • A printed 600-A Health Form should be brought with the participant to the program in Knoxville, beginning on June 1 
  • Playing cards/board games/gaming systems/evening entertainment for participants

More Information  
Feel free to email questions you may have to Lynne Middleton, Tennessee Extension Specialist, at LMiddle2@utk.edu. 

If you would like to see more about the camp, please click:

Meet the Specialists of A.I. in Ag Camp 

Dr. Hao Gan is an assistant professor in the Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Gan’s expertise include sensor development, wireless sensor networks, agricultural IoT, agricultural robotics. Dr. Gan holds a Ph.D. degree in Ag & Bio Engineering from University of Florida, a M.S. degree in Ag & Bio Engineering from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yangzhou University.

Lynne Middleton serves as the Tennessee 4-H Extension Specialist for Curriculum for the Department of 4-H Youth Development. Mrs. Middleton’s expertise are in curriculum development, event planning, youth development programming, and camping. Mrs. Middleton is tasked with overseeing the 28 project areas in Tennessee 4-H, along with all of the curricula for them. She works with over 40 subject-matter experts in the UT system and is the Coordinator for Tennessee 4-H Academic Conference. Mrs. Middleton received her M.S. degree in Agriculture Education with an emphasis in Extension from the University of Florida, and a B.S. degree in Food and Resource Economics with an emphasis on Agri-Business Management and a minor in Accounting. Middleton has worked for 4-H in both Florida and Tennessee for over 25 years.

Dr. Lori Duncan serves as an assistant professor and agricultural sustainability specialist at the University of Tennessee, where she fosters collaborative initiatives in sustainable cropping systems. Her work emphasizes the practical application of technology to enhance agricultural sustainability. Dr. Duncan actively engages with growers, industry partners, and regulatory officials to facilitate the adoption of sustainable management techniques. A Tennessee native, her deep roots in agriculture inform and fuel her commitment to advancing sustainable practices. Dr. Duncan earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Tennessee.
Dr. HongPing Zhang is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Zhang is passionate about experiential learning through travel and hopes to bring the joy of learning and personal development to students and travelers. This passion was sparked by working at Yellowstone National Park through the Work & Travel USA program in 2010 as an international student when she was in college. Later, in the summer of 2017-2019, Dr. Zhang had the chance to lead study abroad programs in Australia and Fiji. These experiences built the foundation of her current research which centers around the nexus of transformative experiences and tourist memory. She focused on their manifestation within education abroad such as how experiences gained through education abroad contribute to the development of sustainable behavior, global citizenship, intercultural competency, and identity formation. These work and research experiences also enrich her classes, and she enjoys teaching various hospitality and tourism management courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Zhang received her Ph.D. in Recreation, Parks and Tourism, with a specialization in Tourism from the University of Florida. She received her M.S. in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. Dr. Zhang earned her Bachelor of Management in Tourism Management from Shanghai Normal University in Shanghai, China along with a B.A. in German from East China Normal University, in Shanghai, China.

  • Tennessee 4-H Youth Development
  • 2621 Morgan Circle, 205 Morgan Hall
  • Knoxville, TN 37996-4510
  • P: 865-974-2128
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