DENVER, Colo. | Leaders from the food and agriculture industries will gather in Denver this week for the 2026 Together We Grow Connect Conference, a three-day event focused on the future of America’s agricultural workforce.
The conference is scheduled for Sept. 8 through Sept. 10 at CSU Spur, where representatives from agriculture, higher education, government and nonprofit organizations will come together to discuss workforce development and the changing demands facing the industry.
Together We Grow describes the Connect Conference as a major platform for cross-sector collaboration in the food and agriculture workforce. The event is built around the organization’s “Growing with Intention” strategic plan.
Agriculture Industry Faces a Changing Workforce
The conference comes as food and agriculture employers face growing pressure to find and retain skilled workers.
According to Together We Grow, the event will focus on issues including labor shortages, skills development, workforce access, organizational culture and the impact of emerging technologies.
Rather than focusing solely on traditional agricultural jobs, organizers are looking at the broader workforce needed to keep America’s food and agriculture system competitive as technology and workplace expectations change.
The organization says its goal is to bring together companies, universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations that can work collectively on workforce solutions.
Leaders From Across the Industry Head to Denver
The conference is expected to bring together professionals from a wide range of sectors.
The attendee base includes higher education faculty and administrators, career services professionals, agricultural executives, human resources leaders, government representatives, nonprofit organizations and trade association leaders.
The speaker lineup includes Colorado Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg, CSU System Chancellor Dr. Tony Frank, CHS Inc. Chief Human Resources Officer Mary Kaul-Hottinger and other leaders from universities, agricultural organizations and workforce development groups.
The mix of speakers reflects the conference’s emphasis on connecting decision makers who normally operate in different parts of the food and agriculture system.
Technology Becomes Part of the Workforce Conversation
Emerging technology will be another major focus as agriculture continues to become more technology driven.
Together We Grow says conference participants will examine how organizations can prepare workers for technological changes while developing the skills needed for the industry’s future.
That conversation could include everything from new workplace skills to changing expectations for employers and employees.
The organization says the broader goal is to build a workforce capable of supporting an increasingly complex food and agriculture industry for generations to come.
CSU Spur Provides the Denver Backdrop
The conference will take place at CSU Spur, Colorado State University’s public-facing campus in Denver.
CSU Spur was designed to connect the public with research, education and experts working in areas including food, water and health. Together We Grow is headquartered at the campus, making the Denver location a natural setting for a conference centered on the future of food and agriculture.
The location also gives conference attendees an opportunity to interact with a campus built around science, research and public engagement.
A Conference Built Around Collaboration
Together We Grow was established in 2016 after leaders from agribusiness, government, higher education and nonprofit organizations began working together on the long-term challenges facing the food and agriculture sector.
The group has since focused on sharing resources, data and strategies designed to strengthen the U.S. food and agriculture workforce.
The 2026 Connect Conference is intended to move that work from broad discussion toward practical collaboration.
Organizers say attendees will use industry insights, expert panels and collaborative conversations to explore solutions that can be applied across the sector.
Why the Denver Gathering Matters
The conference may not have the celebrity appeal of a major entertainment event or the crowds associated with a professional sports game, but its subject matter reaches into an industry that affects Americans every day.
Food production, processing, distribution and agricultural technology all depend on a workforce capable of adapting to changing economic and technological conditions.
That makes the event a potentially useful snapshot of how industry leaders are preparing for the next generation of American agriculture.
With the conference bringing together business leaders, educators, government officials and nonprofit executives in one location, Denver will become a meeting point for conversations about who will power the nation’s food and agriculture industries in the years ahead.
When and Where
The 2026 Together We Grow Connect Conference runs Sept. 8 through Sept. 10, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
The event will be hosted at CSU Spur, 4777 National Western Drive, where attendees will take part in panels, industry discussions and networking focused on the future of the food and agriculture workforce.