Siskiyou Telephone (Etna, Calif.) serves northern California's agriculture stewards. These multi-generational farmers and ranchers grow alfalfa, hay and livestock consumed nationally and have been self-sufficient for generations. Even today, some operate without commercial power, and many need more broadband access.
Here are two ways this community’s farmers and ranchers embrace broadband to modernize agriculture operations:
- Feed farmers who depend on water to produce hay and alfalfa need real-time information on water amounts, needs and production. Farmers in Scott Valley leverage their LTE tech, powered by fiber backhaul, to manage, monitor and control their center pivot sprinklers. They can manage thousands of acres of crops on a smart device from their homes or the road.
- Livestock producers can get connectivity to the barns, where they often must manage feeding, breeding and processing. We call it fiber to the barn. We have a local equine midwife who can remotely monitor the sometimes-challenging birth process and ensure the process is coming along naturally or alert her if there are complications. She breeds 20-30 mares a season, and this tech allows her to manage her stalls 24/7. The technology also will enable her to share the birthing experience with the horses’ owners remotely.