For his corn and soybean operation to thrive, Bryan Stevens knows what he needs to do: “Go hard. Go efficient.” That requires technology. But even basic tech can only do so much without high-speed internet.
Illinois farmers and communities need broadband internet to thrive. The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) and its driven partners intend to make that happen by securing federal dollars earmarked for bridging the digital divide.
IIN-funded research will help them make their case. It provides attention-grabbing estimates of how much more farmers could produce with reliable internet.
Public university partners said the total economic gain of added production that would accompany increased broadband coverage is 3.6% for corn and 3.8% for soybeans. That amounts to more than $42 million in added revenue per year just in the five-county Broadband Breakthrough pilot, which includes Hancock County where Stevens farms.
“When farmers succeed, their communities prosper,” said Jay Walsh, who oversees the University of Illinois System-led IIN. “As a society, we are asking farmers to grow more food on fewer acres each year, and to be more efficient with herbicides and pesticides. They must have better connectivity to accomplish those goals. The system, the state, and our excellent partners are leading this essential push to address broadband disparities for our friends and neighbors.”
Rural reality
Stevens sees the big picture.
“Everything is data driven. My planter knows all the borders and waterways on the 1,700 acres we farm. I waste less because the planter won’t drop seeds where I don’t need them,” the Hancock County Farm Bureau president said. “Because of growth in many areas of the state, Illinois loses a little bit of farmland every day.
“We have to be more efficient with what we have. Every foot counts.”
The high-quality access Stevens needs for downloading and uploading geographic, weather, and other data requires fiberoptic cable. That’s costly with customers spread out among acres and acres of crops. Estimates range from $35,000 to $80,000 per mile.
“Through Broadband Breakthrough, we’re spotlighting the benefits of broadband. When I share the data, people are shocked,” Stevens said about both the cost of adding access and how much more farmers could earn.
Illinois State University researcher John Kostelnick and his team layered data about cropland use and broadband coverage to make their impact projections. That work provides a toolkit for other counties to assess potential broadband value.
“Getting to help tackle a big challenge is encouraging,” Kostelnick said. “Seed grant funding from the the Illinois Innovation Network has been critical. We were able to advance what we were exploring with the Illinois Soybean Association.”
Seeking support
Broadband Breakthrough uses Kostelnick’s research and other selling points to inform and engage stakeholders, some of which could provide grants and other support necessary to gain federal funding.
The program’s data and projections are part of what counties need to apply for the state’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity Act funding. President Joe Biden announced more than $1 billion in federal BEAD funding alone for Illinois.
Powerhouse equity advocate the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society manages Broadband Breakthrough.
“What makes the Illinois effort ‘right’ is the breadth of partners working together to deliver and execute the program, plus the Illinois Office of Broadband recognizes how important it is to have community involvement in broadband infrastructure planning,” Benton Institute Executive Director Adrianne B. Furniss said.
Outreach
With a presence in all 102 Illinois counties, Illinois Extension is another system outreach asset.
In her Extension role, Nancy Esarey Ouedraogo focuses on community economic development. She says most farmers are enthusiastic about better internet.
“Some say satellite internet is OK, but they know that doesn’t help future-proof their operations and their communities for the next generations,” she said.
Legacy is on Stevens’ mind, too.
“We live where we do because my wife, Julie, and I wanted our daughters, Caroline and Grace, to know where their food comes from and to know the realities of life on the farm,” he said. “We still have to have a landline because our cell phone service is so spotty. I have to use a hot spot to try to get on the internet, and if it works, it’s really, really slow. That’s not the way it should be.
“Communities and people won’t grow without the internet.”
What’s next
After its work with Hancock, Edgar, Schuyler, Ogle, and McLean counties, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society will lead another Broadband Breakthrough cohort in the fall. Benton continues to collaborate with the system’s Illinois Broadband Lab and Office of the Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation, University of Illinois Extension, and the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity.
Led by the U of I System, IIN connects communities and industry with the strengths and resources of the state’s public universities. Fifteen IIN hubs statewide collaborate to ensure Illinois’s strong role in the 21st century knowledge-based economy.
The University of Illinois System partnering to elevate the state's communities and residents is just part of what makes us Altogether Extraordinary. To share your story idea, please message lmabry@uillinois.edu.
