The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports…

Just over 5 miles from where folklore has long claimed Vikings scribbled Scandinavian etchings on a runestone, Erica Sawatzke surveys thousands of chirping baby birds in her long barn.

Automatic feed and water lines hum. A monitoring system — hooked up to a landline — alerts Sawatzke’s phone when barn temperatures, normally kept above 90 degrees, drop precipitously.

But there’s one thing missing in these barns that could bring them into the 21st century: high-speed internet.

Sawatzke, a sixth-generation farmer, can’t adjust the temperature with a tap of her phone. She doesn’t have cameras to livestream the turkeys — which could be a game-changer as the industry fights bird flu.

And for the mother of two who runs between school, the post office and statewide meetings as the president for the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, that internet connection could afford her something equally rare — peace of mind.

If her barns had high-speed internet, she might not feel so tethered to the farm.

It’s not just an inconvenience to individual farms…

Poor internet connection on farms causes a range of problems — from minor lifestyle inconveniences to more meaningful limitations.

Sawatzke recounts trying to testify remotely to the Legislature in St. Paul during the pandemic as part of her role with the Board of Animal Health.

“I first logged on with Wi-Fi, and my screen just froze,” Sawatzke said.

She had to quickly turn on her cellphone’s hot spot — relying on a wireless signal — to sign back in to the meeting.

And broadband could help monitor for bird flu…

While a luxury for many livestock farmers, the addition of cameras could help give producers like Sawatzke the ability to remotely monitor their animals for concerning signs — from a school event or even at the house during supper.

“If I had cameras in the barn, that might be able to help me just keep an eye on them,” Sawatzke said.

But cameras require a strong internet connection and can be costly, putting the upgrade, for now, out of reach.