Digital Literacy for Small to Mid-Size Farms Phase 2

The Partnership for Innovation proudly partnered with the University of Georgia Tifton Campus (UGA), Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC), Workings Farms Fund, and agricultural stakeholders across Georgia to conduct a digital literacy research initiative focused on supporting small- to mid-sized farms.

The project addressed a growing gap between the technological resources available to agricultural producers and the effective utilization of those resources. Farmers increasingly required access to software and hardware tools, reliable high-speed broadband and internet connectivity, and the training necessary to apply these technologies effectively in agricultural operations. At the time, the region also lacked a demonstrative “farm of the future” model integrating farmland, technology, and data-driven systems that producers could learn from and replicate.

UGA, ABAC, and project stakeholders developed and submitted a USDA proposal for the “Farm of the Future” initiative to address the need for improved digital literacy while simultaneously developing and demonstrating advanced technologies for small and mid-sized producers. If funded, the initiative would integrate precision crop and livestock production systems with data-driven technologies to establish a long-term sustainable farm model that is environmentally sound, socially acceptable, and economically viable for producers of peanuts, cotton, corn, and livestock.

The “Digital Literacy for Small to Mid-Size Farms” project supported several standalone research objectives while simultaneously providing an early foundation and strategic momentum for the broader “Farm of the Future” initiative. The project’s outcomes also contributed significant value to precision agriculture instruction and applied teaching efforts at ABAC.