Ag Tech Day at Flickner Innovation Farm Inspires Kansas Students to Explore the Future of Agriculture
In Moundridge, Kansas, Flickner Innovation Farm recently became a classroom for the next generation of agricultural leaders. Hosted by NASA Acres Farm Innovation Ambassador Team (FIAT) steering committee member Ray Flickner and organized by Rebecca Dale, program manager for the Institute for Digital Agriculture and Advanced Analytics at Kansas State University, Ag Tech Day brought together Kansas 4-H, Kansas State University, KCARE, NASA Acres, and other partners to give students in grades 5 through 12 a hands-on look at how technology is shaping modern agriculture.
More than 100 participants from 22 counties attended the event and moved through 13 interactive stations across the farm. Students explored precision agriculture tools, field robots, weather stations, drone applications, and advanced farm equipment while learning how science and technology support real-world decision-making in agriculture.
NASA Acres’ Jacob Orser speaks with 12 News/KWCH TV.
Ag tech field day in Moundridge shows students the future of farming
NASA Acres Program Support Specialist Jacob Orser introduced students to the NASA Acres program and demonstrated STELLA, a handheld, student-assembled tool that has modular attachments measuring incoming solar radiation, light reflectance, air temperature, surface temperature, methane, and more. Students used the instrument to collect reflectance data and learned about how the technology can be used in agriculture and beyond.
Students were especially interested in what NASA tools can reveal, how data can help identify what is working in the field, and how they might use these technologies themselves. Orser also shared information about STELLA DIY builds, NASA ARSET trainings, and NASA Acres efforts to bring this kind of learning into classrooms.
The event reflected the collaborative spirit of Flickner Innovation Farm, which since 2018 has brought together research, industry, and public partners to test emerging agricultural technologies. It also highlighted the mission of NASA Acres to connect producers, researchers, educators, and students with practical tools and Earth observation data that can support agriculture. By bringing NASA technology and expertise to the farm, Ag Tech Day showed students how space-based science can have real value on the ground and how innovation in agriculture depends on collaboration across sectors.
MORE:
Watch 12 News/KWCH TV’s report.
Listen to Agriculture Today’s radio report.
Read more about Ag Tech Day.