We present the format for a workshop on introductory computer programming, which was held at the 2015 American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA. The main workshop objective was to familiarize attendees with basic computer programming, including data structures, data management, and data analysis. The workshop used the general programming language R, though the concepts and principles presented are transferable across programming languages. Given the increased importance of statistical analysis in the agricultural sciences, the workshop was well attended. Participants appreciated the opportunity to improve their computational literacy and supported follow-up workshops like this at future ASHS events. We have released the presentation and the companion R script online.