February 26-27, 2026

Eastlink Centre

Conference Speakers

Our 2026 programming is made possible by our generous sponsors:

Aitazaz Farooque UPEI

Friday, February 27th

PVY Detection Using AI

Aitazaz Farooque UPEI

Aitazaz A. Farooque is a Professor of Precision Agriculture and Director of the Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation at the University of Prince Edward Island. His research focuses on advancing climate-smart technologies to support the sustainability and resilience of Atlantic Canada’s agricultural sector. He is recognized among Canada’s top 125 researchers and is a recipient of the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement. Dr. Farooque has co-authored more than 190 peer-reviewed publications and has secured over $17 million in competitive research funding. He currently supervises a large and diverse team of highly qualified personnel working across multiple areas of precision agriculture. Widely recognized for his research excellence and academic leadership, he has made substantial contributions to the field at both national and international levels. In recognition of his exceptional achievements, Dr. Farooque has received numerous prestigious honours and awards, including the King Charles III Coronation Medal, induction into the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, and Engineering Excellence Awards from Engineers PEI. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and Professional Agrologist in Prince Edward Island.

Chad Mooney

Friday, February 27th

Drone Uses in Potato Production

Chad Mooney

Chad Mooney is a farmer, technologist, and former Canadian Armed Forces officer who returned home to Arthur Mooney and Sons Ltd. after 13 years of service and deployments. His military experience exposed him to remote sensing, data-driven decision-making, and emerging technologies Chad holds a Civil Engineering degree from the University of New Brunswick and a Master’s in Management Analytics from Queen’s University. As artificial intelligence began moving from theory into real-world adoption, he founded AgronomAI, a consultancy focused on helping farms practically and confidently integrate AI, drone, and satellite technologies.

Today, Chad works with producers to bridge the gap between innovation and day-to-day farm operations—supporting everything from drone sales, custom application, training, service, and repair to the thoughtful adoption of AI where it actually adds value. His work is grounded in the belief that technology should empower farmers, not overwhelm them. Through partnerships with organizations such as Cavendish Agricultural Services, Agroscout, Green Aero Tech, and DJI Agriculture, Chad is helping ensure farmers don’t have to navigate the future of agriculture alone.

Evan MacDonald

Friday, February 27th

Drone Uses in Potato Production

Evan MacDonald

Evan MacDonald is the owner and general manager of Atlantic AgriTech Inc., a contract agricultural research company based in New Annan, Prince Edward Island. Atlantic AgriTech specializes in conducting small plot and field-scale efficacy trials in potatoes, including fertilizer trials, variety development, pesticide evaluations, and applied agronomic research. Evan has extensive experience in precision agriculture and has been using drone-based imagery and analytics in potato research since 2014, supporting data-driven decision-making and trial monitoring. His work focuses on integrating emerging technologies into practical, on-farm research to improve productivity and sustainability in potato production.

Leigh Hunter McCain Farm of the Future

Friday, February 27th

Farm Scale Evaluation of Regenerative Ag Practices

Leigh Hunter McCain Farm of the Future

Leigh Hunter is a fifth-generation farmer from Florenceville, New Brunswick who grew up farming sweet corn and vegetables with his father and uncle. His passion for machinery and technology led him to earn a B.Sc. in Engineering from Queen’s University. After gaining experience in equipment manufacturing, Leigh joined McCain Foods in 2021 as the Technical Lead for Farms of the Future. He was instrumental in the transformation of a conventional farm into a Farm of the Future that showcases regenerative agricultural practices, new farm technologies, and precision agriculture at a commercial scale. In July 2024, Leigh took over as Farm Manager and is responsible for the continued progression of the farm’s Regenerative Agricultural journey, creating the pathway for delivering on McCain’s Smart and Sustainable Faming agenda and efforts to improve the resilience of the potato cropping system.

Mark Phillips PEI Potato Board

Thursday, February 26th

Canada/USA Potato Market Outlook

Robert Newcombe AI-First Consulting

Friday, February 27th

AI Integrations in Agribusiness

Robert Newcombe AI-First Consulting

Robert is an industrial engineer and the CEO/founder of AI-First Consulting. He helps Atlantic Canadian organizations boost productivity by integrating practical AI into everyday workflows and pairing it with behavior change that sticks. Robert has presented at different events last year including CME’s LeanCon, SocialEast, and Food Island Partnership’s Food Forward Conference. He's worked with many manufacturers and food processors including Eden Valley Poultry, Nautel, Cherubini, and the Station Food Hub to improve processes and integrate AI. Robert's approach blends Lean fundamentals with modern AI tools to remove waste, increase productivity, and free people to focus on higher-value work. 

Ryan Barrett PEI Potato Board

Thursday, February 26th

Common Scab Mitigation with Biopesticides

Ryan Barrett PEI Potato Board

Ryan Barrett is the Research and Agronomy Specialist with the Prince Edward Island Potato Board in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. In this role, he coordinates local and national research projects with a number of different partners as well as conducting on-farm research trials with PEI potato growers. Ryan serves as the lead on three projects under the ACS Living Labs program in PEI.

Ryan is Professional Agrologist and is the Past-President of the PEI Institute of Agrologists. He is a Certified Crop Advisor for the Atlantic Provinces. He also serves as Chair of the Canadian Potato Council’s Research Working Group.

Ryan graduated with a B.Sc. (Agr) from the Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture in 2002 and an M.Sc. from the University of Guelph in 2004. He has worked with the PEI Potato Board since 2012 after previously working in the purebred dairy cattle industry. As well, he continues to be involved in his family’s dairy and beef farm as agronomist and genetics manager.

Tyler Heppell Heppell's Potatoes, BC

Thursday, February 26th

Marketing Potatoes Through Public Engagement

Tyler Heppell Heppell's Potatoes, BC

Tyler Heppell—known online as Potato Ty—is a fifth-generation farmer turned social media creator, based in Vancouver, Canada. With over 600K followers on Instagram (@potaytyx), and 800+ followers on TikTok (@heppellspotato) he brings an authentic, behind-the-scenes look into modern farming life, mixing humour, craft, and community-focused storytelling.

After a stint in the corporate world, Tyler returned to his family’s farm, dedicating himself to both crop production and agricultural education. His mission: “to show the good, bad and beautiful parts of farming to inspire the next generation and educate end consumers”

His content ranges from seasonal harvest insights to refreshingly candid vetting of produce, striking a balance between down-to-earth expertise and relatable storytelling. Tyler also hosts co-farm events and community fundraisers across North America, using his platform to connect people with food systems at scale.

Conference Speakers

Our 2026 programming is made possible by our generous sponsors:

Aitazaz Farooque UPEI

Chad Mooney

Evan MacDonald

Leigh Hunter McCain Farm of the Future

Mark Phillips PEI Potato Board

Robert Newcombe AI-First Consulting

Ryan Barrett PEI Potato Board

Tyler Heppell Heppell's Potatoes, BC

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