Ag & Broadband: UW-Extension Broadband Boot Camp 2016 Breakout
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This document summarizes a presentation about broadband access for agriculture in Wisconsin. It discusses how farms and agriculture generate significant economic activity in the state. It also outlines some challenges farms currently face, including low prices, market volatility, and engaging younger generations. The presentation shows examples of technologies farms can use, from automated calf feeding to precision agriculture, and highlights the need for reliable, affordable internet access to utilize these technologies. Case studies are presented on farms with high-speed and low-speed/satellite internet access and the different production and marketing techniques they employ. The presentation concludes with recommendations to improve rural broadband access.
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Ag & Broadband: UW-Extension Broadband Boot Camp 2016 Breakout
- 1. BROADBAND BOOT CAMP: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016
- 2. Agriculture Online: Getting on, Growing, Profiting Kara O'Connor, Government Relations Director, Wisconsin Farmers Union & John Shutske, Professor, UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences & UWEX Specialist
- 3. Agriculture and Farming in Wisconsin • Farms & agricultural businesses generate >$88.3 billion in economic activity • 413,500 jobs statewide • One county alone (Wood) – provides jobs to 4,078 in Wood County – $984 million in economic activity – $13.4 million in taxes (not including property taxes to schools) • Critical to rural vitality, culture, community http://anre.uwex.edu/economicimpact/
- 4. Some challenges CURRENTLY in agriculture --- *To what extent do these connect to being more “digital?” • Low product prices and high input costs • Market volatility and unknowns • Pressure to grow and create greater economy of scale • Rapid tech advancement (automation, precision ag, genetics/genomics, etc.) • Access to healthcare and other services (and goods, products, information) • ENGAGING the next generation!!
- 5. There’s some cool stuff out there, and even more coming quickly • Just a few examples…..
- 8. Fully Automated Calf Feeding… Photos from website: https://www.calfstar.com
- 11. BUT -- Even for basic services (email, phone, text messaging, purchasing, etc.)… • Very significant access & use barriers – Speed, quality of service – Cost – Access (and understanding access options) – Support, knowledge – Security concerns – Understanding what’s possible – There are people who are “all in” & those who have adopted little or nothing *Based on preliminary data – Farm Technology Days interviews and other focus groups. Larger study underway by Shutske, Trechter, & Luck
- 13. Von Ruden Dairy Farm Organic Dairy Farm in Westby, WI Markets milk to Westby Cooperative Creamery Internet Connection: high-speed DSL through Vernon Telephone Cooperative
- 16. Autumn Moon Farm Transitioning from conventional corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and hops to small grains like wheat and barley for human consumption. Also constructing an on-farm malting and milling facility to serve the small scale brewing/distilling and baking community. Internet access: satellite (with data caps)
- 18. Nami Moon Farms Diversified farm: vegetables, fruit, eggs, chicken, ducks, turkeys, pigs 40% of sales via direct marketing. Website and Facebook are critical for this. Internet Access: fiber through Amherst Telephone Company. $240 installation fee and $75 per month for 10 mbps. $150 per month for “up to” 30 mbps.
- 20. Some Key Questions… • Where do current policies push/pull us with respect to the four quadrants? • What do future rural Wisconsin scenarios look like without better access? • What do bright, positive future scenarios look like? • How do we engage and retain young people and future leaders in rural areas? • How do we capture the benefits of smart automation, efficiency, etc. without “hollowing out” rural communities?
- 21. Recommendations for improving rural high- speed internet: • Eliminate de facto state law prohibition on municipalities offering broadband service • Incorporate “dig once” policies into DOT and local road contracts • Increased funding for Broadband Expansion Grant • Robust oversight of CAF II projects • Support internet service through rural electric cooperatives, either through grants or through promotion
- 22. Image Credits • Slides 5, 6 are used under paid license from Shutterstock.com
Editor's Notes
- Low tech, high touch = feeding calves (the gateway to dairy farming for many kids) Low tech, low touch = producing commodity crops with older equipment(??) High tech, low touch = using a driverless tractor and combine to grow commodity soybeans High tech, high touch = producing milk and direct marketing through artisan cheese maker
- Unlike his neighbors a mile and a half away, Darin does have high-speed DSL at home. It’s a good thing, because about 50% of his cell phone calls get dropped. Wireless and satellite options are more challenging in the hilly Driftless region of the state.
- Darin gets his internet through the Vernon Telephone Cooperative. This illustrates another point that I hear often from farmers – that you’re lucky if you live in an area that is served by a local telephone cooperative, or a locally-owned telecommunications company rather than a national provider.
- We are transitioning from conventional corn, soybeans, and alfalfa to hops and more small grains like wheat and barley for human consumption. In addition, we are launching an on-farm rustic milling enterprise and the first on-farm malting operation in Wisconsin. Our customers will be local brewers, bakers, and distillers. We are trying to develop our website, because all of our customers are tech-savvy and expect to do business with us over the internet. It is honestly the shakiest part of our business plan. Because of the data caps from our internet service provider, even some of the automation that we need for the malting equipment is in question. We should be concentrating on improving our product and developing new markets, but instead we're asking, "do we have enough bandwidth?" Charter Cable came down the road and served a cluster of rural residential homes that we can see from our house, but Charter wouldn't come up the extra mile to our farm. Rural kids are left behind in the digital age. The local high school gave all of the students Chromebooks to do their homework, but these are useless to rural kids who don't have good internet. Before our son could drive, I had to drive him around to coffee shops after track practice just to do his homework.