Follow the progress on the construction of the NFarms building!
Check out the time lapse videos that will be posted weekly and get a firsthand look at how the new NFarms building is coming along
NFarms is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln initiative to pioneer innovative digitized agricultural tools, strategies and collaborations.
What is NFarms?
NFarms (Nebraska Future Ag Research & Management Systems) seeks to:
- Refine and expand precision-ag capabilities
- Achieve data standardization and cloud-based ag data storage
- Convert NFarms research findings nimbly and efficiently into practical tools for producers
- Provide ag software expertise of data driven decision tools
Through such steps, NFarms will be a major proving ground to boost U.S. agricultural productivity and promote climate-smart strategies. NFarms will draw on UNL’s academic strengths as well as the unique opportunities made possible at the University of Nebraska Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead, Nebraska. As a result, this initiative will enable far-ranging research opportunities, build fruitful collaborations, and expand university outreach and interaction.
Why NFarms?
By providing a real-world testing environment, NFarms can evaluate new technologies with an objective perspective, and take risks that farmers might not be able to. This allows for advancements to be made in a timely fashion for quicker adoption in agricultural operations.
SCALE. Utilizing 3,000 crop production acres out of ENREEC’s 9,600 acres, NFarms will operate on a scale that:
1) Far exceeds anything available at any other university for precision-ag research.
2) Is comparable to real-world production conditions.
The center includes row crops, pastures and over 6,000 head of livestock - providing the ideal setting for integrated research and opportunities to utilize regenerative ag systems.
REAL-WORLD MANAGEMENT APPROACH. NFarms operates in typical farm fashion under full-scale conditions. NFarms will use irrigated fields as well as dryland fields.
PRIVATE SECTOR OPPORTUNITY. Entrepreneurs and private-sector companies will have the opportunity to have operations/facilities at NFarms to test out their ideas in collaboration with UNL.
PRECISION AG EXPERTISE. This expertise enables strong data collection and analysis as well as innovation regarding sensors and robotics.
AG SOFTWARE EXPERTISE. NFarms stands out for its focus on development of ag software, with the ultimate goal of data standardization and efficient cloud-based data storage.
NIMBLENESS. UNL recently unveiled its new N management app, demonstrating the university’s ability to respond to industry needs efficiently and develop a new tool in relatively short order. NFarms will use that same spirit in pursuing its development of new tools and collaborative strategies. This ability to respond quickly and efficiently is a key need for the ag sector and a notable strength for UNL.
NFarms groundbreaking highlights precision ag innovation, partnerships
niversity and private-sector representatives pointed to major opportunities for ag tech innovation and collaboration in an Aug. 14 groundbreaking ceremony for NFarms, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s precision agriculture initiative.
NFarms research will bring precision ag innovations to producers
The NFarms initiative at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center will be a test bed for new technologies, as well as platforms to help farmers better harness data. The initiative also will develop innovative decision-making tools that producers can use for efficient field management. Nate Thorson, the program’s research manager, brings experience with both agricultural production systems and software design to the platform.
Checking N
The Checking N series provides weekly insights on tools, methods and impact found through University of Nebraska nitrogen management research. Learn about the Nitrogen Research for Agriculture Transformation and Enhancement (NRATE) project and other timely topics. Our goal is to help growers discover ways that our findings could work in their operations.
Real Time Results
NFarms is gathering valuable information using sensors and other tools. Follow along as we share real-time data and results from research projects. Most research is conducted "farm-scale" and replicated to better understand and adapt to real-world challenges and opportunities farmers face. NFarms aims to use the data to develop management systems for the future.
