Keeping up with NASA Acres

In December, the Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA) helped expand awareness of NASA Acres at the Amarillo Farm Show (AFS), a major regional event that brings together nearly 500 exhibitors and thousands of producers from across the Texas Panhandle and surrounding states. With packed exhibit halls and steady engagement throughout the event, AFS provided an ideal opportunity to connect directly with farmers, ranchers, and community members while highlighting NASA Acres as a practical bridge between space-based science and on-the-ground agricultural decision-making.

Garden City Community College (GCCC) in Garden City, Kansas has successfully concluded the first offering of Technology in Agriculture (AGRO-111), a course developed in collaboration with NASA Acres and Kansas State University and launched in Fall 2025. This partnership aligns closely with NASA Acres goals to support agricultural workforce development and expand access to Earth observation tools for students and educators.

This fall, NASA Acres reinforced its commitment to agricultural workforce development at the 2025 National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention & Expo, the nation’s leading event for agricultural education and leadership. With more than 70,000 students, educators, sponsors, and industry leaders in attendance, the convention represents an important pipeline for the next generation of farmers, scientists, engineers, and innovators.

NASA Acres Research, Development, and Extension Partners took the global stage at the 2025 Living Planet Symposium in Vienna, Austria, presenting groundbreaking work on Earth observation applications for both U.S. and international agriculture. Hosted by the European Space Agency, this triennial event brings together scientists, policymakers, and technology leaders from around the world to explore the future of satellite data and its role in addressing global challenges.

A new article released by researchers Tony Vorster and Nicholas Young at Colorado State University’s Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, in partnership with the NASA Acres Consortium, explores how satellite imagery and other remote sensing technologies can inform rangeland management across the American West. The paper, "Opportunities and Limitations of Remote Sensing for Rangeland Management", offers land stewards a grounded, practical guide to navigating the growing suite of digital tools.