Several factors influence farmers' use of computers

11/14/2011 12:00:00 AM

This article explores some of the factors relating to farmers use of computers and relates the findings of a USDA study.

Several factors influence farmers' use of computers

by Kristy Kibler

Computer usage among New York farmers is down from 2009, according to a release from the United States Department of Agriculture. But the Empire State’s statistics beat the national average in every category.

King Whetstone, director of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service at its New York Field Office, reports that 68 percent of New York farms had computer access in 2011, down from 71 percent in 2009 but still up from 67 percent in 2007. Nationally, 65 percent of farms had computer access.

But that’s not the only case of New York exceeding the 2011 national average. 66 percent of New York farms have internet access, compared to 62 percent of overall U.S. farms. And 42 percent of New York farmers use computers for farm business, five points higher than the national average.

Joan Petzen, the agricultural program leader for the Wyoming County Cornell Cooperative Extension, said Wyoming County Internet usage is affected by a factor other places might not have to worry about—accessibility.

“Some areas of the county have good, quick access to online resources. Other areas of the county are very, very limited to, basically, slower-than-slow telephone lines, unless they invest in satellite,” she said.

Petzen, who is also a farm business management educator with the CCE Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crop Team, said the CCE takes a two-pronged approach to marketing—some online, some traditional.

“When you want to get some information really quickly, it would be great if you could just e-mail everyone,” she said. “But the reality is, we can’t. And that, I think, is pretty true of Western New York generally.”

Although Petzen doesn’t think age is a factor in willingness to use technology in general for farmers, she said she could see it being a factor in internet usage. For instance, someone with conservative views toward the internet might do their farm finances on a program like QuickBooks, but not want to be online for security reasons.

Colleen and Chris King, of North Java, raise beef cattle and do custom crop work like bailing, combining and cutting hay for other farmers. Colleen said they do all of their finances with QuickBooks, as well as pay some bills and order equipment online. She said in terms of vendors and suppliers, the farming industry is just as technological as other businesses.

“In that aspect of the ag world, I would say they’re just about even (with other industries),” she said. “There are actually probably more of the farm bills I can pay online than personal bills.”

The Kings got married in 2005, and Colleen said she started using QuickBooks within a year of their farm and business getting established. Although the software makes dealing with finances easier, it took her a while to get used to it. She said she could see how older generations might have trouble adjusting to new systems of data management.

“When you’ve been doing it your whole life one way, it’s hard… I think probably the older the people, the more difficult the transition.,” she said. “But it does seem like most farms around here usually have that second generation that gets involved, and I think they’re kind of that push.”

Petzen said she sees farmers of all ages adapting to new technology. When the CCE offered a January 2010 QuickBooks Dairy Accounting class, 29 participants from 19 farms enrolled, ranging in age from mid-20s to late-50s. If it makes their lives easier, farmers and others in the agriculture industry are just as willing to adopt new technologies as anyone else.

But if it’s just another job to worry about?

“They’re busy people, they have a lot of decisions to make, and they want information quickly,” Petzen said. “And so if it’s quicker to pick up the phone and give a call, they’ll pick up the phone rather than search for their information online.”

Kristy Kibler, News Editor - Warsaw's Country Courier

Warsaw's Country Courier (Neighbor-to-Neighbor News)