Rural Broadband Access Allows Ohio Farms to Adopt New Technologies

In partnership with: Ohio Department of Agriculture

These days, technology is a much larger part of farm life than in previous decades. Data can be transferred to tractors to make field-application decisions with economic and environmental benefits. Digital platforms provide small farms greater market access to sell their products.

But these evolving agricultural technologies hinge on access to broadband, or high-volume capacity internet capable of streaming video and transferring large sets of data. Across the U.S., rural areas often lack this service, says Douglas Jackson-Smith, a professor of rural sociology at The Ohio State University (OSU).

Ohio ranks in the middle of the nation for broadband access, with the most significant deficiencies in the rural areas of eastern and southern Ohio. For agriculture, expanding this infrastructure profoundly impacts market access, food production, and overall enjoyment of life on the farm.

“There is a whole world of new technology and digital agriculture built on the assumption farmers will have access to high-speed internet,” says Jackson-Smith.

In early 2020, Jackson-Smith testified before a U.S. House Committee regarding the impacts of agriculture technology in rural America. He expressed the need for public investment in rural broadband infrastructure to make these technologies accessible.

“Internet has become a basic utility like electricity, not just for food and agriculture but also economic development and participation in modern life.”

Public support helped bring electricity to rural areas in the 1930s. In cities, private companies only built electric infrastructure, which provided the best return per square mile.

See more: Proposed Bill Encourages Ohio’s Retiring and Beginning Farmers to Work Together

Today, innovations in precision agriculture, data management, and direct marketing require broadband access. Better bandwidth correlates with the success of Ohio farms of all sizes. It gives technology a chance to touch every facet of rural life, from climate-controlled barns to online marketing.

Jackson-Smith also sees broadband’s ability to attract and keep the next generation of farmers in rural Ohio. As of 2017, 25% of Ohio farms do not have internet access. To help address this, the state has launched initiatives like BroadbandOhio and Ohio Broadband Strategy. Congress is also considering additional funding for broadband as part of a stimulus package.

“For farming to thrive, you need young farmers who want to stay in agriculture,” he says. “The quality of life in the 21st century in terms
of the ability to access consumers, culture, media, and resources is often one of the things that will keep or drive people away from staying
on the family farm.”