Oregon Farmers Big On Computer Use

Oregon Farmers Big On Computer Use. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

I’m what you might call a power computer user. I’m on it most of the day and even carry around my iPad and iPhone when I’m not at home. It’s a big part of my private life and my job depends on it as well. I guess you could call me very connected. Well a new survey shows that Oregon farmers and ranchers lead the nation in having internet access and are near the top in other categories of computer usage. The survey confirms that computers are just as important to most Oregon ag producers as the tractor or any other common type of equipment.
 
POLAND: Oregon is a pretty progressive state and I think we see people using a tool that is very advantageous for them to use on a daily basis. The internet and access to the internet gives them that ability to do their business more efficiently and effectively.
 
Steve Poland is information systems manager for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. The national survey shows that 80 percent of all Oregon farmers and ranchers own or lease a computer, and have access to the internet. Those are real high marks, well above the national average. The survey also asked farmers to identify how they are accessing the internet.
 
POLAND: From the survey, people are hooking up wirelessly. Before, they were in remote areas where they couldn't get any type of connection. The best connection they had was dialup. Now, we have wireless connections that give them respectable speeds and dial-ups are becoming a thing of the past.
 
Half of those responding to the survey in Oregon say they use their computer for business purposes. In virtually all categories, Oregon farmers and ranchers are among the national leaders when it comes to computer usage. Poland says one area the survey does not touch is the use of social media by farmers and ranchers- something he believes is growing tremendously among Oregon's farmers and ranchers.

POLAND: Well, there are a lot of social media techniques out there today that they could use- Facebook, Twitter, all the social media. That's ever changing, but those tools are probably out there that could help them do their job better.
 
Poland says its unclear if the survey captures all so-called computer usage or is confined to the use by farmers of traditional computers.

POLAND: We're seeing people getting away from using a laptop to using an ipad or some type of tablet device instead of using the traditional laptops or the traditional computers.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.