Since 1919, the California Farm Bureau has worked to protect and promote family farms and ranches in California and advocate for rural and agricultural communities. Throughout its history, the Farm Bureau has maintained a reputation for innovative programs aimed at providing the best possible services for farmers and rural residents.

The California Farm Bureau is a strong advocate for incorporating innovative farm technologies to help farmers and ranchers produce more with less. From precision farming to soil sensors to enhanced livestock tracking, advancements in farming technologies will help farmers reduce waste, save time and increase yields. But for many California farmers and ranchers, the full benefits of these innovations remain just out of reach due to a lack of stable, reliable broadband internet access. This is where the California Farm Bureau and the Connect Everyone Coalition (CEC) come together.

Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology provides a broadband solution that is able to meet the needs of rural, remote and farm properties. Because they orbit in large, nonstationary constellations close to Earth, LEO satellites can provide an uninterrupted, high-speed internet option for even the most rural and remote farms and ranches, enabling them to take full advantage of new, game-changing farming technologies.

“Getting every California farm connected to high-speed internet would be transformative for our agricultural regions, which produce more than three-quarters of the nation’s fruits and nuts and a third of its vegetables,” said Shannon Douglass, president of the California Farm Bureau. “Reliable connectivity allows farmers to monitor in real time, manage operations remotely, access market information, process orders and logistics more efficiently and adopt new tools that boost productivity. It is essential that we utilize all connectivity technologies – including LEO satellites – to deliver fast, reliable internet access to California farms and unlock the many opportunities and efficiencies it affords.”

Even in areas that may already be served by another technology, such as fiber or wireless, LEO broadband can offer a redundancy solution in case of outages or extend service further across a property. All that is required to get connected to LEO internet is plugging in a receiver and pointing it to the sky. This makes LEO broadband uniquely useful in even the most out-of-the-way corners of a farm.

“We are so glad to have the California Farm Bureau as a partner in our work to bridge the digital divide,” said CEC Executive Director Richard Cullen. “No one better understands the challenges of the connectivity gap than rural farmers. We are lucky to have the Farm Bureau’s expertise guide our advocacy to ensure that everyone can access the opportunities of high-speed internet — both at home and on the farm.”

DID YOU KNOW?

A 2023 USDA report found that 15 percent of U.S. farms still lack any internet access, and only 51 percent of farms with internet have broadband connections. Research shows that realizing the full potential of precision agriculture, digital technologies and rural broadband would increase the value of U.S. farming and production by an additional $47–65 billion annually.

LEO satellites create a fast, affordable connectivity option to connect rural areas where it has previously been economically unfeasible or geographically impossible to extend broadband.