Snapshots From Space Cultivate Fans Among Midwest Farmers Noreen
Thomas’ farm looks like a patchwork quilt. Fields change hue
with the season and with the alternating plots of organic wheat,
soybeans, corn, alfalfa, flax, or hay. Thomas enjoys this view
from hundreds of miles above Earth’s surface -- not just for the
beauty, but the utility. She is among a growing group of Midwest
farmers who rely on satellite imagery from Landsat to maximize
their harvest and minimize damage to their fields. It's become
another crucial tool like their tractors and sprinklers. “Our
farm is unconventional – we grow food and breed animals using
all-natural approaches,” said Thomas of her certified organic
farm in Moorhead, Minnesota, where they also grow heirloom
tomatoes, lettuce, squash, and peas. “So we’re happy to use
unconventional methods to solve problems and keep our crops
healthy.” For $25 and an hour’s drive to the Grand Forks campus
of the University of North Dakota (UND), Noreen and Lee Thomas
took a one-day class o