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The Monroe County Farm Bureau hopes its support will help spur the development of rural broadband.

Chris Henney, OFBF director of policy development, joined the county Farm Bureau in a meeting with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and the Guernsey, Monroe Noble (GMN) Tri-County CAC, a community services center.

"We sat down and talked about what the needs are in the county and how we can work together," Henney said.

Monroe County Farm Bureau member Dale Dietrich said the meeting was informative, adding that many people are unaware that the GMN Tri-County CAC office in Caldwell has 26 computer terminals with broadband access available to the public.

"We (the Monroe County Farm Bureau) are going to get this information out to our local people," he said.

One of the problems in Monroe County, he noted, is that broadband satellite receivers in the county rely on "line-of-site" technology, which means it is difficult to send signals across hills into the region's valleys.

"It's very frustrating," Dietrich said of the lack of broadband service, adding that rural businesses are put at a disadvantage.

Dietrich was glad to learn that there is money available to help fund broadband projects. He said the Monroe County Farm Bureau hopes to support the GMN Tri-County CAC in seeking funding.

"If they're applying for a grant or need help on a letter writing campaign, we're willing to make a phone call to a congressman or to a state representative to say we need this service and see if we can get this funded," he said.

Henney was enthusiastic about the Monroe County Farm Bureau's willingness to get involved with the issue.

"Although we're early in the process, it was a great example of rural grassroots action to advance Farm Bureau's goal of expanding rural broadband," he said.

For more information on local broadband efforts, contact Henney at 614-246-8265.