Abstract
Many agricultural producers live and work in rural areas that have been left behind in broadband internet expansion. A lack of digital inclusion of agricultural communities can stymie agricultural producers’ participation in e-commerce and marketing, use of precision agriculture, and access to information. To better understand how farm owners and managers access the internet and their digital skills, we conducted a mixed-methods research project using focus groups (N = 4) with participants (n = 26) living in four North Carolina (NC) counties in 2023. We used thematic analysis to qualitatively analyze the focus group data. To quantitatively assess emerging themes, we then conducted a survey of farmers (n = 113) at a statewide farm show in NC in 2024. We calculated descriptive statistics for the survey data, including demographics (gender, race, crops or livestock produced, acreage farmed) and experience with devices, social media, and troubleshooting. We identified three overarching themes: (1) experiences with internet and digital technologies; (2) impacts of internet access and digital technology, including farmers’ reflections on the critical need for internet connectivity for farm operations and perceptions of negative consequences of not having adequate connectivity; and (3) sentiments toward internet, specifically farmers’ frustration with the current state of connectivity options and opinions on initiatives to improve connectivity. Findings reveal an imperative for better digital inclusion of farms and agricultural communities across NC.