hackathon

How can the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) build on innovation to better support sustainable American agriculture? Tackling that complex question was the driving force behind our inaugural USDA Innovation Symposium. USDA’s diverse mission requirements in technology and tools make creativity essential in leveraging today’s challenges into opportunities for innovation.

The USDA recently wrapped up a successful hackathon at Colorado State University. This event, which brought together computer science and data science students around a real USDA challenge, is a prime example of the many benefits that hackathons can offer. But what exactly is a hackathon, and why are they so beneficial?