Nebraska Joins NASA Acres Farm Innovation Ambassador Team
The Paulman Farms near Sutherland, Nebraska, in late-April where the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Digital Farming Lab is conducting on-farm research with the NASA Acres Farm Innovation Ambassador Team program.
From the University of Nebrask-Lincoln, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources:
Sutherland grower Roric Paulman and Nebraska U's Digital Farming Lab will help advance producer-centered innovation through the national NASA Acres program
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 technologies.
West-central Nebraska grower Roric Paulman of Paulman Farms near Sutherland became the newest member of NASA Acres’ American producer-centered FIAT national program and its participant representing the state. As part of the effort, Paulman will receive technical assistance from Guillermo Balboa and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Digital Farming Lab to support activities and help connect Nebraska’s agricultural experience with broader innovation efforts.
Roric Paulman
Guillermo Balboa
Balboa, research assistant professor in agronomy and horticulture and leader of the university’s Digital Farming Lab, said the state is well-positioned to contribute to this national effort.
“Nebraska has a strong history of producer-driven innovation in precision and digital agriculture,” Balboa 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 FIAT program serves as a producer-centered platform connecting science and agriculture through collaborative innovation. The goal of FIAT 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, FIAT 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’s involvement will contribute field-based experience and applied agronomic expertise in digital agriculture to that national collaboration. The partnership will connect grower-led innovation in Nebraska 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. His participation adds Nebraska’s perspective to a growing national network focused on translating research into tools growers can trust and use.
“We are excited to join the NASA FIAT effort,” Paulman said. “Early adoption has been at the forefront of our operations. 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 university’s 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 long-standing 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, FIAT co-lead and chief agronomist at NASA Acres.
On July 14-16, FIAT 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.
Through NASA Acres FIAT, Nebraska joins a growing national network of producer-led innovation, with growers helping shape practical agricultural tools and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln contributing leadership and expertise in digital agriculture to support this collaborative effort.
Read more at The University of Nebrask-Lincoln.