Digital Literacy for Small to Mid-Size Farms Phase 1

The Partnership for Inclusive Innovation is proud to fund the first project from our Applied Research Opportunities program, a multi-institutional research project that will give researchers at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and University of Georgia -Tifton Campus, an opportunity to study Digital Literacy for Small to Mid-Size Farms 1 – 250 acres that reside in Georgia, inclusive of Working Farms Fund farms, and adjacent states to determine the current state of digital knowledge for farmers, their level of internet service, and current computer and technology skills.

The University of Georgia, ABAC and agriculture stakeholders have developed and submitted a USDA proposal for the “Farm of the Future” to address the need to improve digital literacy as well as develop and demonstrate technologies for the small and mid-sized producers. If funded, it will integrate precision crop and livestock production systems with data-driven technologies to provide a framework for creating a long-term sustainable farm site that is environmentally sound, socially acceptable, and economically viable for small and medium-size producers of peanuts, cotton, corn, and livestock.

The objectives of the Digital Literacy for Small to Mid-Size Farms research project are intended to stand alone while simultaneously providing a jump start for the work related to the Farm of the Future proposal, which has a much broader scope.