NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Rural broadband growth is reshaping how farms across the South connect and compete. A new USDA survey released in August 2025 shows sharp increases in online input purchases and marketing activity, even as some producers scale back precision agriculture tools amid tighter margins.
The biennial Farm Computer Usage and Ownership survey — conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service since 1997 — tracks how producers access and use internet-based technologies in their operations.
Between 2023 and 2025, every southern state reported higher rates of farmers buying agricultural inputs online, with Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas each recording more than 100 percent growth. About half of U.S. farms now report purchasing inputs over the internet. Roughly 25 percent of southern farms conduct agricultural marketing activities online — slightly below the 29 percent national average — though participation fell in Georgia and Missouri.
Precision agriculture adoption moved in the opposite direction, explains Devon Mills, Assistant Professor with Mississippi State Extension. Seven southern states, including Tennessee, North Carolina, and Alabama, saw declines in use between 2023 and 2025, mirroring a 19 percent national drop. Analysts suggest producers may be pausing high-cost technologies to reduce expenses, even as internet-based tools become central to daily operations.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Southern farms are deepening online engagement for cost savings and market access, while higher-cost precision technologies face renewed scrutiny amid tight budgets.
Wholesale egg prices decreased by 64% from their peak in late 2024, while retail prices have dropped by 27%, according to a recent USDA update.
This Justin Wilson recipe is classic comfort food with bold Louisiana flavor: Southern-style baked pork chops layered over spicy Cajun dressing fortified with wine, hot sauce, and a splash of steak sauce.
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Dis is a delightful dish. You can serve it by itself or with a good gravy or gumbo. It is so easy to fix, I garontee!
Dis rice isn’t that wild, no, but it is a delicious rice!
Tender beef shanks slow-baked with carrots, potatoes, and onions in a wine-spiked Cajun sauce—sealed in a cooking bag to lock in every bit of bold, savory flavor.
