The Future Of NRCS Is Going Mobile

How could USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service improve and expand their field level service?

NRCS chief Aubrey Bettencourt said that happens by going mobile.  She noted moving in that direction will allow NRCS staff to have more time and resources to work with farmers and landowners.  But, what does going mobile look like?

“I think it's the ability to be in the office when necessary, but be in the field as well," Bettencourt said.  "So, if we can have the networked system that removes friction and modernizes our processes from an underlying software/infrastructure platform, where we can be in the field, where we can integrate different documents from different partners, so even if we're working with our conservation districts or they're working with a third party partner, where we can have a file that is live and can keep track of that farmer and having the mobile infrastructure to be able to go out and do that.”

She said real world examples of that include taking on-site pictures, in real time, allowing NRCS employees to show those pictures to customers as the develop or build upon conservation plans, the day of.

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