I know you probably get tired of hearing me talk about farmers and the internet but I think there’s a lot of ag communications folks out there who just aren’t “getting it” yet. In fact, I dare say there’s almost a resistance to using new internet technologies to reach farmers and the ag community. Part of it is a lack of knowledge by the people doing the agrimarketing! That’s why professional development opportunities like NAMA Boot Camp are so important. But I would encourage all agrimarketers to go to other types of professional development opportunities as well.

This comes up as I recently received another USDA release announcing $34.6 million in rural development grants. For the first time some of this money will be used to develop broadband internet access using power lines! The states where this money is going are Alabama, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire and Virginia. The release quotes “These investments are part of the Bush Administration’s effort to bring universal access to all rural households and businesses by 2007.” If successful no one (farmers) in rural America should be able to say they can’t get high speed access. The ease of using it will continue as well. New products are announced every day (just check out Engadget).

I still haven’t figured out how to get some of that money. I mean, I live in a rural area and promoting ag communications using the internet after all.