It will be critical for the upcoming farm bill to include significant federal funding for agricultural research, Nebraska’s five-member congressional delegation said during a visit to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s East Campus on June 19.

U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, who hosted the visit to campus, said his “No. 1 priority” in representing Nebraska’s 1st District was securing federal funding for major U.S. Department of Agriculture research facilities planned for Nebraska Innovation Campus. The center, which will focus on precision agriculture and water, climate and resilience, will boost the number of USDA agricultural scientists in Nebraska to 150, up from the current 63.