Nebraska joins NASA Acres Farm Innovation Ambassador Team

Nebraska is joining the NASA Acres Farm Innovation Ambassador Team, a national program that works with producers to develop practical tools and solutions using satellite Earth observation, on-farm data and digital agriculture technology.

Roric Paulman of Paulman Farms, near Sutherland, Nebraska, is the newest member of the program, representing the state. As part of the effort, Paulman will receive technical assistance from Guillermo Balboa and the Digital Farming Lab in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources to support activities and help connect Nebraska’s agricultural experience with broader innovation efforts.

Balboa, research assistant professor of agronomy and horticulture and the lab’s leader, said the state is well-positioned to contribute to the national effort.

“Nebraska has a strong history of producer-driven innovation in precision and digital agriculture,” he said. “Joining NASA Acres FIAT creates an important opportunity to connect Nebraska’s field-based work with a national network focused on practical tools and trusted partnerships. It reflects the kind of collaboration that helps move innovation from research to on-farm impact.”

NASA Acres is a U.S.-focused agriculture and food security consortium supported through NASA’s Earth Science Division. The Farm Innovation Ambassador Team program serves as a producer-centered platform connecting science and agriculture through collaborative innovation. The program’s goal is to keep farmers at the center of innovation by connecting producer priorities with NASA-supported science and technology. The program brings together early-adopter growers, researchers and agricultural partners to help turn satellite-based insights into practical decision-support tools for U.S. agriculture.

“FIAT is built around the idea that farmers should help shape the technologies and tools intended to serve them,” said Alyssa Whitcraft, program co-lead and executive director of NASA Acres. “We are excited to welcome Roric and our partners at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as we continue expanding this national network of producer-led innovation.” 

Nebraska will contribute field-based experience and applied agronomic expertise in digital agriculture to the collaboration. The partnership will connect grower-led innovation in the state with broader efforts to advance practical digital agriculture tools that strengthen productivity, resource efficiency and long-term resilience.

Paulman’s operation in west-central Nebraska provides a strong example of farmer-led innovation and the adoption of digital agriculture under real production conditions.

“Early adoption has been at the forefront of our operations,” he said. “Bringing innovative people and technologies together with grounded scientific support is a significant opportunity for U.S. agriculture. Collaboration with UNL is, and will continue to be, a cornerstone of those relationships.”

The Digital Farming Lab will provide technical support and conduct on-farm research protocols at Paulman Farms, focusing on increasing nitrogen use efficiency in corn. The collaboration builds on Nebraska’s longstanding leadership in precision and digital agriculture and reinforces the state’s role as a place where agricultural innovation is developed, tested and scaled with producers.

“We are excited to expand this program into additional states while building on our existing work in Kansas, Illinois and New York, and we are particularly pleased to welcome representation from Nebraska as we continue growing this farmer-driven network,” said Ignacio Ciampitti, program co-lead and chief agronomist at NASA Acres.

From July 14-16, Farm Innovation Ambassador Team members from across the country will convene in College Park, Maryland, for the program’s first in-person meeting, joined by NASA Acres leadership, scientists, technical experts and partner organizations. The event will provide an opportunity to share experiences, identify producer priorities and strengthen collaborations that advance practical digital agriculture solutions nationwide.