LINCOLN, Nebraska – Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) are pleased to announce a new collaboration with Nebraska Cooperative Council on the development of a groundbreaking web and mobile application suite, Producer Connect. Producer Connect is designed to empower agricultural producers with the tools they need to optimize inputs, enhance agricultural profitability, improve water quality, and increase irrigation efficiency.

“As farmer-owned entities, Nebraska’s farmer-owned cooperatives believe information is vital for farmers to learn about and employ sustainable farming practices that protect their profitability while protecting Nebraska’s natural resources,” said Dean Thernes, Nebraska Cooperative Council Board Chairman. “At a time of rapidly changing and new technologies affecting the use of nitrogen products, the Nebraska Cooperative Council is pleased to be able to support the efforts to bring Producer Connect to Nebraska’s farmers.”

Additional participants on the project include the Nebraska Corn Board, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Central Valley Ag, Corteva Agriscience, 17 of Nebraska's 23 NRDs, the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) and the NARD Foundation.

“In collaboration with the Cooperative Council, Producer Connect is poised to become a comprehensive platform for growers, offering valuable insights and resources to enhance nitrogen management and sustainable farming practices,” said Martin Graff, NARD President. “Through this program, we aim to equip growers with the necessary tools and information to make informed decisions and contribute to the overall health of Nebraska’s agriculture and water resources.”

Producer Connect will be free to producers and offer a wide range of features designed to simplify nitrogen and water management, including:

• Producer-specific data
• Protected data
• Customizable nitrogen recommendations
• Irrigation efficiency
• Historical data analysis
• Economic analysis of nitrogen applications
• Information exchange

Producer Connect is currently in its initial stages of development and is expected to launch in June 2024. The initial rollout will focus on Phase 2 and Phase 3 Groundwater Quality Management Areas and areas with irrigation allocations.

The Nebraska Cooperative Council is representing nearly all of Nebraska’s local farmer owned cooperatives and regional cooperatives doing business in the State of Nebraska. Nearly 56,000 farmers and ranchers own Nebraska’s farmer owned supply and grain marketing cooperatives. The Council provides government relations, director education and other services to its member cooperatives to protect, enhance and defend Nebraska’s agricultural cooperative system.

The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), the trade association for Nebraska's 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRD), works with individual districts to protect lives, property and the future of Nebraska’s natural resources. NRDs are unique to Nebraska, and act as local government entities with broad responsibilities to protect Nebraska’s natural resources. Major Nebraska river basins form the boundaries of the 23 NRDs, enabling districts to respond to local conservation and resource management needs. Learn more about Nebraska’s NRDs at www.nrdnet.org.