Tip-Seeking Farmers Swarm Online Forums

Soybean farmer Bill Waren harvests the fall's last soybean crop on his farm in Freeland, Md., in this Nov. 10, 2005 file photo. The high prices farmers are getting for their corn remain steady, and soybean prices have risen, the Agriculture Department said Friday, Feb. 9, 2007. (AP Photo/Chris Gardner, file) (Chris Gardner - AP)

Rural America has lagged behind the cities in Internet usage _ especially broadband _ because wiring the population-rich cities is more profitable and wiring the countryside more expensive due to long distances and natural barriers.

Now, farmers and existing rural businesses are becoming more reliant on the Internet to be competitive, and rural communities are becoming more aggressive in seeking Internet access. They see it as a way to attract white-collar jobs, and urban dwellers who have moved to the country are demanding it.

Paul Butler, who grows corn and soybeans on 260 acres in Macon, Ill., returned to farming four years ago after 25 years in the computer business. He doubts he would have made it without online advice from fellow farmers.

"I would have made a lot of expensive mistakes," said Butler, 39, who has a broadband connection. "Purchasing seed is a pretty complicated decision. It was nice to have 20 unbiased people that weren't selling seed that could give me an opinion on it."

Eric Neer, 24, of Davenport, Iowa, discovered farm forums from fellow students when he was in college.

Although he seldom posts a question, Neer _ who works for a farm equipment manufacturer _ devours the information he sees on precision farming, using the forums to shop for equipment and information about tractors and combines that are steered by computers linked to global positioning satellites.

Machinery _ the universal language of farmers _ is a hot topic in farm forums. So is when best to take crops to market to get the best price. Sometimes the talk veers away from pure farming.

In a recent exchange on http://www.newagtalk.com, a popular farm forum, an Illinois farmer complained that the starter on his pickup truck was acting up. A fellow farmer replied that the electric solenoid atop the starter was probably worn out and the contact sticking in the closed position.

"I would put a whole new starter on it," he wrote. "Fix it now before it ruins the flywheel teeth."

An Ohio farmer wondered if he should replace his fuel-oil furnace with a geothermal heating system. The idea got high marks from a farmer in Indiana who said a geothermal system leaves no smell or residue and makes less noise. Then he offered tips on insulation and heat distribution.

Farmers have to decide themselves whether the advice they get is sound. Agriculture.com's Walter said he tries to screen out the hokum, blowhards and occasional shyster. Purdue's Strickland said some users give opinions not based on fact or research.

Winkle, 57, became a believer when a tip from an Iowa farmer prompted him to change his no-till farming technique. Winkle increased his yield by about 30 percent.

During the winter, he spends about two hours a day wading through the forums from his farm, about 40 miles northeast of Cincinnati. Since April, he has posted 1,738 messages on one forum alone.

Some farmers still rely on the neighbor they know.

"You can get some good ideas from people in other states, but they're dealing with different circumstances," said Jim Meimer, who raises corn, soybeans and wheat on 900 acres.

Meimer, 28, goes online to get market data but prefers to get advice from friends and neighbors. He often sees them at the feed store and fertilizer plant when he goes into nearby Mount Gilead, Ohio, to pay bills.

Glen Feichtner, 48, who raises 300 head of cattle near New Washington, Ohio, prefers to get his tips from fellow farmers at the stockyard and grain elevator because he knows they have been successful.

"I get face-to-face interaction," he said. "I know these people. I know their story."