Most vital ag mineral may be silicon

Dirt. Water. Sunshine. Silicon chips. They're all essential parts of farming, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Computers are nothing new on the farm, but Nebraska farmers are leading the way, according to the report, which indicates that computers are being used for business at 41 percent of the state's farms, 10 percentage points higher than the national average.

While the increase is leveling off elsewhere, Nebraska saw a 3 percentage point increase in the number of farms using computers from 2003 to this year, while nationwide, the figure was up by 1 point, to 31 percent, according to a Grand Island Independent story via The Associated Press.

Our city cousins might be surprised at the inroads computer technology has made in the countryside. Consider these facts from the USDA study:

* Two thirds of Nebraska's farms have computer access, up from 61 percent in 2003 and 45 percent in 1997.

* More than half of Nebraska's farmers have the Internet.

* Crop farmers are slightly more likely than livestock producers to have computer access, 60 percent compared to 57 percent.

And that electronic hardware isn't just being used to run "what if" scenarios. It's being used for important transactions:

* About 7 percent of the state's farmers are purchasing their agricultural inputs on the Internet, up from 4 percent in 2001.

* Ten percent are using the Internet for marketing, up from 7 percent four years ago.

But none of this should be a surprise to anyone who has lived in the Golden Plains, or even attended one of the recent county fair. Thanks to the efforts of the University of Nebraska Extension Service, our rural neighbors have long been on the leading edge of agricultural production.