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Jefferson County Farm Bureau President Sharon Finney has to wait until after midnight when there aren’t many people on the Internet to fill out U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forms.

"It’s hard for the dial-up to stay connected," she said. "I can’t download or upload anything."

Finney isn’t alone among groups of farmers, generally younger farmers, who would benefit by being able to have high-speed Internet or broadband services in rural areas.

While a majority of Ohio has access to broadband services, there are many unserved and underserved areas in rural and small communities across the state.

Broadband technology allows for high-speed, high-capacity Internet access. More and more, farmers, local governments, health care facilities and other businesses in rural communities demand faster and better access to the Internet to compete in a high-tech society.

Recently U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine and USDA’s Rural Development office announced more than $2 billion in government money is available to bring broadband technology to rural communities in Ohio and other states.

"Broadband must be expanded to rural areas of Ohio, and we need to figure out the best way to get that done," said DeWine during a recent statewide Broadband and Telecommunications Financing Conference in Columbus. The conference provided information on broadband loan programs, as well as Community Connect Grants available through the USDA. The grants provide financial assistance to currently unserved communities to receive broadband transmission service to foster economic growth, enhance education, health care and public safety services.

"Ohio Farm Bureau recognizes the economic development opportunities broadband provides," said Jack Fisher, executive vice president of Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. Ohio Farm Bureau helped organize the conference held April 18.

James Andrew, administrator of the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service, told participants that not having access to broadband technology is similar to missing out on vital transportation services to transport goods.

"When the railroads came and bypassed a town, the town dried up," Andrew said. "Without broadband, towns will dry up."

The programs available through the USDA to assist with the development of networks in underserved areas and find ways to better utilize networks are already in place. DeWine announced that since 2001, more than $2.1 million in USDA funding has gone out in Ohio to achieve these goals.

Meanwhile, farmers such as Finney have said they plan to educate their neighbors about the benefits of broadband.

"I hope there will be interest in our county," she said. "It’s just a thing of the future."

Caption: Randy Hunt, state director of USDA Rural Development Ohio (left), gives U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, (center) a plaque to thank him for his work on a statewide Broadband and Telecommunications Finance Conference. To the right is James Andrew, administrator of USDA Rural Utilities Service. Photo credit: Michael Jones/USDA Rural Development Ohio