John Shepard is an economic developer who understand broadband. He is also one of the MIRC (Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities) partners at Southwest Regional Development Commission. He recently shared a presentation online that was originally given to the Farm Bureau in Murray County and I thought it was worth a mention here.

John starts with the broadband look at the broadband situation in rural Minnesota and how boosting broadband could help boost rural areas by providing access to a wider (or deeper) range of applications – but I think the most powerful part of the presentation comes at the end where he talks about why you should care about broadband and the MIRC project…

As agricultural producers, this project may not directly affect broadband access at your farm. However, it is intended to benefit you in two direct ways.

1. First, providing opportunities to create new jobs may help your kids, or even yourselves, stay in Rural Minnesota. More and more farm families have to have off-farm employment to survive, not to mention providing options for spouses.
2. Second, creating additional demand for broadband will help providers offer the latest and greatest telecommunications services that you do directly need—from video cattle auctions to simple social media.

When we help each other out in rural Minnesota, everybody wins.

Times are tough right now and I think we all get focused on what we need here and now. John’s presentation is a nice step back and reminder that “When we help each other out in rural Minnesota, everybody wins.”