nasa_fd_ranching_0.png The signs of drought are visible from space, from satellite images of depleted reservoirs to drought maps using soil moisture and other satellite data. These indicators are important for ranchers trying to care for their cattle and the land. Credits: NASA/Jesse Kirsch/Drought Map from the U.S. Drought Monitor/Image courtesy of Tracy Schohr

NASA will host a media teleconference at 1:30 p.m. CDT Thursday, Aug. 25, to discuss the agency’s tools, resources, and science research available to the agriculture community.

As record drought conditions continue across parts of the U.S., straining American food producers, NASA’s Earth Science Division is meeting with producers and representatives in Nebraska and Kansas. Farmers and other agricultural producers in the U.S. Corn Belt and across the country regularly make decisions about water management, planting, and market decisions based on NASA data delivered by partner agencies and organizations.

Audio of the briefing will livestream on NASA’s website.

The teleconference participants include:

• Karen St. Germain, Earth Science Division director at NASA Headquarters in Washington
• Brad Doorn, program manager, water resources and agriculture, NASA Earth Science Division
• Seth Myer, chief economist, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Zach Hunnicutt, owner of Hunnicutt Farms
• Brian Wardlow, director, Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies, University of Nebraska Lincoln

During the teleconference, media will learn more about the information, tools, and resources drawn from NASA’s Earth observation satellites and science research, how these are applied to agriculture, and how NASA is working with partners to address data gaps and plan for the future.

Media interested in participating should request the dial in-details at least two hours prior to the start of the call by sending their full name, media affiliation, email address, and phone number to Aries Keck at: aries.keck@nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is available online.

NASA’s vantage point from space gives the agency a unique view of our home planet. For more than 50 years, NASA satellites have provided open-source and publicly available data on Earth’s land, water, temperature, weather, and climate. By engaging with an agricultural community adapting to changes in weather and water cycles, NASA can learn about emerging needs and demands to shape future missions. The goal is to put NASA's Earth science data into the hands of America’s farmers to help them increase food security, improve crop resilience, and reduce the volatility of food prices.

More information about NASA's work in agriculture is available at:

https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov

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Press Contacts

Tylar Greene
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-0030
tylar.j.greene@nasa.gov

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