“I don’t think anybody disagrees that it’s a necessity. I think it comes down to how do we create the infrastructure and who pays for it.”
That’s Whitley County farmer and Indiana Farm Bureau member Jeremy Barron talking about rural broadband connectivity. Strong internet connectivity was so vital to Barron’s farm and business that he moved his family from one farm to another where he could get more reliable service.
“Why do we need internet? Well, it’s really about connection. So, monitoring grain prices, being able to transmit data whether it be yield data or soil test data. I couldn’t upload my soil test data to my provider to be able to write prescriptions and analysis on the farm. So, there’s a whole host of reasons.”
Barron encourages farmers to reach out to their lawmakers at all levels of government to start moving forward on connectivity.
“At the local level your county commissioners and county council, at the state level your state representative or state senator, and the federal level your congressman and your senators. It’s going to take a teamwork approach to be able to get that rural broadband to the last mile, and so I would encourage you to make those connections with your local, state, and federal officials and let them know how important this topic is to your business and your farm.”
Rural broadband is the number one priority for Indiana Farm Bureau at the Statehouse this year.