Impact Story: Ag Program (at Earth Action) and OPERA

[CherrelleTucker]

Source

Natasha outreach

Date of Publication or interview

No response

Value Type

US Federal or State use case

Audience

No response

Summary

Subject: Ag Program and OPERA

Hi Brad and Cordelia,

Hope this finds you both well. You may be familiar with OPERA, an SNWG-funded project at JPL that generates products that the Ag program may be interested in – particularly the surface water extent product suite. What kind of interaction, if any, have you had with the OPERA team? I want to make sure that you’re fully connected to the project team – David, Steven, and Al, as well as Batu and Elodie of the stakeholder engagement team, copied here – and that we’re moving beyond awareness, to the extent possible, to mutually-beneficial collaboration and communication. Overall, my goal is to make sure that all SNWG solutions are connected to the ongoing projects and programs across NASA (building bridges!), that we’re minimizing duplication, and maximizing investments (scaling and creating a mesh!).

Do you feel like you understand the OPERA products and their relevance for your program? Do you know if these products are relevant for and/or used by your community? Are there ways that we can further strengthen the connection between the Ag Program and OPERA? Toward this end, and depending on your answers to those questions, example activities could include: • Co-hosting a listening/brainstorming session to determine existing and possible relevance or synergies with your community, including across HARVEST and ACRES • Promoting/sharing OPERA products within your community where it makes sense • Mentioning OPERA products in any future ROSES calls where it makes sense • Establishing feedback mechanisms between your community and OPERA to consider where we can better meet needs • Any other connections that would make sense to explore?

What are your thoughts on these questions and ideas? Are you interested in a call with the team to discuss further? Thanks for your consideration.

Best, Natasha

Subject: RE: Ag Program and OPERA

Natasha, Thank you for reaching out. I know the water surface extent product was, at least partly, at the request of USDA FAS. However, I don’t have much insight into OPERA and its products.

I think having a listening session with NASA Harvest/Acres would provide some excellent feedback. I know they use existing surface water products but it would be good to hear from them about what works and what is needed.

After this, it may be a possibility to integrate them into the CropMonitor (that would be a key way to promote these products as multiple international agriculture programs will see them). I would also be interested in know if USDA FAS has given feedback because GSFC runs there satellite processing and they may have some thoughts on how to use OPERA products (Jim Tuckers group at GSFC). We definitely want to chat with USAID FEWSNET who have expressed a desire to understand water oversupply as well as their traditional famine information. NASA Harvest is a key partner with them. Finally, we would want to chat with USDA NASS and RMA to review their needs for flood damage information.

I would be happy to help provide some connections, but I would want to understand these products a bit more thoroughly before we start.

Brad Bradley Doorn, Ph.D. Agriculture Earth Action NASA Headquarters, Mary Jackson Bldg. 300 E St., SW Washington, D.C. 20546 Bradley.Doorn@nasa.gov 202.255.7957

SNWG Project

C2 - OPERA (if applicable to GSWx, DIST, or DISP specifically, please note that)

Location/Venue of story impact

US

Link to published Source, if applicable

No response

Quote from the published source

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Related Issues

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[CherrelleTucker]

Meeting held: 2024-08-27 @ALeRoy55 could you comment anything of interest that resulted from that meeting here?

[CherrelleTucker]

2024-08-29 SNWG SEP Weekly Meeting

Purpose: Brad Doorn connection with OPERA implementation and StkHldr team. Attempt to find more users in AG program. Some followup items, but possibly not for SEP to focus on.

[CherrelleTucker]

Hi Natasha and Brad:

We prepared a short slide deck (attached here) that we hope will connect OPERA products to the greater Ag community.

Besides looking into additional agricultural applications, we’re also active in reaching out to federal stakeholders through tutorials/presentations. If there are particular targeted areas of interest that you think OPERA can support, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Steven

OPERA Overview.pdf

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From: Sadoff, Natasha K. (HQ-DK000) [natasha.sadoff@nasa.gov](mailto:natasha.sadoff@nasa.gov) Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 2:18 PM To: Tucker, Cherrelle J. (MSFC-ST11)[Consolidated Program Support Services] [cherrelle.j.tucker@nasa.gov](mailto:cherrelle.j.tucker@nasa.gov), Osmanoglu, Batuhan (GSFC-6180) [batuhan.osmanoglu@nasa.gov](mailto:batuhan.osmanoglu@nasa.gov), Hiers Brady, Cordelia (HQ-DK000)[BOOZ ALLEN & HAMILTON INC] [cordelia.hiersbrady@nasa.gov](mailto:cordelia.hiersbrady@nasa.gov), Reyes-Locke, Natalia M (US 3314) [natalia.m.reyes-locke@jpl.nasa.gov](mailto:natalia.m.reyes-locke@jpl.nasa.gov), Bekaert, David (US 3340) [david.bekaert@jpl.nasa.gov](mailto:david.bekaert@jpl.nasa.gov), Doorn, Bradley (HQ-DK000) [bradley.doorn@nasa.gov](mailto:bradley.doorn@nasa.gov) Cc: Handwerger, Alexander L (US 334H) [alexander.handwerger@jpl.nasa.gov](mailto:alexander.handwerger@jpl.nasa.gov), Chan, Steven K (US 334D) [steventsz.k.chan@jpl.nasa.gov](mailto:steventsz.k.chan@jpl.nasa.gov), Macorps, Elodie (GSFC-618.0)[UNIV OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK] [elodie.macorps@nasa.gov](mailto:elodie.macorps@nasa.gov), Olofsson, Pontus (MSFC-ST11) [pontus.olofsson@nasa.gov](mailto:pontus.olofsson@nasa.gov), Leroy, Anita (MSFC-ST11)[UAH] [anita.leroy@nasa.gov](mailto:anita.leroy@nasa.gov), Gregory, Sean P. (MSFC-ST14) [sean.p.gregory@nasa.gov](mailto:sean.p.gregory@nasa.gov) Subject: RE: Ag Program and OPERA Hello colleagues,

Thank you all for a great conversation today on OPERA, the Ag Program, and potential synergies and opportunities for collaboration. Overall, it seems like a few OPERA products definitely have relevance considering Ag Program goals and activities. It’s great to hear that the resolution and latency are generally appropriate for program stakeholders! I have a few actions below from my notes: • OPERA team: o Consider the development of a marketing package on relevant OPERA products for the agriculture community. The consortia (Harvest, ACRES) that represent the program with the community appreciate materials that are accessible to the community and refined considering their needs. Materials could be shared with those consortia and then marketed with the community. o Consider how OPERA products may relate to central agricultural variables and existing tools/resources so that users could integrate OPERA products easily alongside existing data resources. • MO/Natasha/David: get back to Ag Program team with OPERA product sustainability. For how long will these products be available? • Ag Program: let the OPERA team know about other specific opportunities for engagement/building awareness • All: follow-up on more targeted areas of interest (Brad, let us know what those areas might be – maybe some of the considerations above?)

Thanks again – please feel free to add anything I missed.

Natasha