Assessment of digital technology adoption and access barriers among crop, dairy and livestock producers in Wisconsin

Abstract

A comprehensive survey was developed and mailed to 3000 Wisconsin dairy (1000), livestock (500) and crop (1500) producers in early 2018. The survey was designed to evaluate internet and other digital technology use; digital technology applications deployed on farms; internet and mobile service satisfaction; barriers to technology adoption; and, use differences across groups based on demographic factors that included farm income, farm size, age, education level and gender. After eliminating undelivered/returned mailings, the survey had a 43% response rate (n = 1021). Internet access and use levels were strongly and positively associated with gender (women), farm income, farm size (hectares and numbers of animals) and education level. Higher levels of income, education, and acreage, females and ages under 55 were associated with significantly higher levels of internet access. For both mobile and home/office computer access, cost was an area with higher dissatisfaction along with slow download speed during heavy use periods. Weather and market information were categories of information most often accessed, while farm program and educational information were the categories least accessed. The most significant barriers to adoption of digital technology on respondents’ farms included data privacy and security concerns, software and system compatibility, and understanding how to use and derive value from acquired data. The survey examined areas of digital application adoption including finance and marketing tools and apps, precision planting and harvesting, sensor applications (soil, livestock, structures/environment), and robotic milking equipment and found adoption to increase with acreage, income, youth, and for females. In addition, a case study of two Wisconsin producers quantified and characterized all data generated on their farms in 2017. These producers stored 51 MB per hectare and 73 MB per milking head in 2017. These data provide insight into rural broadband needs that would allow agricultural producers to make data-driven decisions and foster innovation.