FARM COMPUTER USAGE AND OWNERSHIP
ARIZONA
The percentage of Arizona farms with computer access in 2019 was 58 percent, unchanged from 2017. Of those farms having computer access, 53 percent own or lease a computer, unchanged from 2017. The percentage of farms that used a computer for farm business was 35 percent, an increase of 1 percentage point from 2017.
The most common method of accessing the internet was satellite at 25 percent, down 8 percentage points from 2017. Mobile was next at 24 percent followed by cable at 22 percent. All other methods including dialup, digital subscriber line (DSL), fiber optic, and other/unknown accounted for 29 percent.
COLORADO
The percentage of Colorado farms with computer access in 2019 was 87 percent, unchanged from 2017. Of those farms having computer access, 79 percent own or lease a computer, down 2 percentage points from 2017. The percentage of farms that used a computer for farm business was 72 percent, an increase of 2 percentage points from 2017.
The most common methods of accessing the internet was digital subscriber line (DSL) at 29 percent, up 10 percentage points from 2017 and satellite at 29 percent, down 10 percentage points from 2017. Cable was next at 16 percent. All other methods including dialup, fiber optic, mobile, and other/unknown accounted for 26 percent.
MONTANA
The percentage of Montana farms with computer access in 2019 was 80 percent, unchanged from 2017. Of those farms having computer access, 79 percent own or lease a computer, up 3 percentage points from 2017. The percentage of farms that used a computer for farm business was 62 percent, an increase of 4 percentage points from 2017.
The most common method of accessing the internet was fiber optic at 39 percent, up 17 percentage points from 2017. Satellite was next at 20 percent followed by digital subscriber line (DSL) at 16 percent. All other methods including dialup, cable, mobile, and other/unknown accounted for 25 percent.
NEW MEXICO
The percentage of New Mexico farms with computer access in 2019 was 47 percent, unchanged from 2017. Of those farms having computer access, 35 percent own or lease a computer, down 3 percentage points from 2017. The percentage of farms that used a computer for farm business was 30 percent, unchanged from 2017.
The most common method of accessing the internet was mobile at 33 percent, up 5 percentage points from 2017. Digital subscriber line (DSL) was next at 27 percent followed by satellite at 18 percent. All other methods including dialup, cable, fiber optic, and other/unknown accounted for 22 percent.
UTAH
The percentage of Utah farms with computer access in 2019 was 86 percent, an increase of 6 percentage points from 2017. Of those farms having computer access, 80 percent own or lease a computer, up 7 percentage points from 2017. The percentage of farms that used a computer for farm business was 70 percent, an increase of 14 percentage points from 2017.
The most common method of accessing the internet was cable at 24 percent, down 5 percentage points from 2017. Satellite was next at 23 percent followed by digital subscriber line (DSL) at 22 percent. All other methods including dialup, fiber optic, mobile, and other/unknown accounted for 31 percent.
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WYOMING
The percentage of Wyoming farms with computer access in 2019 was 93 percent, an increase of 5 percentage points from 2017. Of those farms having computer access, 85 percent own or lease a computer, up 8 percentage points from 2017. The percentage of farms that used a computer for farm business was 58 percent, unchanged from 2017.
The most common method of accessing the internet was digital subscriber line (DSL) at 34 percent, up 15 percentage points from 2017. Satellite was next at 26 percent followed by fiber optic at 17 percent. All other methods including dialup, cable, mobile, and other/unknown accounted for 23 percent.
UNITED STATES
General computer usage and internet access categories increased from 2017 to 2019 in the United States. Nationally, 75 percent of farms reported having access to the internet, with 73 percent of farms having access to a desktop or laptop computer. Farms that used a desktop or laptop computer to conduct farm business was up 1 percent from 2017. Over half of the farms in the United States used a smart phone or tablet to conduct farm business, compared to 44 percent in 2017.
In 2019, 26 percent of farms used satellite and 22 percent of farms used a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) to access the internet. Since 2017, Satellite and DSL continue to be the most popular choices that United States farms use to access the internet.
For a full copy of the 2019 Farm Computer Usage and Ownership report please visit www.nass.usda.gov. For state specific questions please contact:
Arizona – Dave DeWalt 1-800-645-7286 Colorado – William R. Meyer 1-800-392-3202 Montana – Eric Sommer 1-800-835-2612 New Mexico – Longino Bustillos 1-800-530-8810 Utah – John Hilton 1-800-747-8522 Wyoming – Rhonda Brandt 1-800-892-1660
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Gaming Is Booming for Seniors: Aging Expert Explains
Seniors are connecting to the virtual world in ways we never imagined.
43% of gamers over the age of 60 are playing every day while connecting with each other through mainstream platforms like PlayStation, Xbox, and even Facebook.
Aging expert, Lisa Cini is available to discuss how and why gaming for seniors is catching on, the health/social benefits including brain and cognitive performance as in the virtual world.
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• Mass shootings
The lack of a clear, consistent definition for “mass shootings” makes it hard to determine exactly how much the frequency of such events has increased, said University of Pennsylvania criminologist Richard Berk. “It’s difficult to arrive at a consensus, but a very rough estimate is that during the past decade, there have been about 40 deaths per year attributed to mass shootings, ” he says. “Virtually all perpetrators were male—just as in most violent crime—and mass shootings associated with intimate partner violence were the most common type.” Broad gun control likely won’t work, he said, given the Second Amendment and the sheer number of semi-automatic weapons in the United States. Rather, more surgical interventions such as banning high-capacity magazines may be a better approach to fostering change. (EDITORS: Additional information)
• Porn & privacy
New research shows that pornography websites have an overwhelming lack of privacy and lack of transparency about privacy. More than 90 percent of pornography websites share user data with at least one third party, according to a study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication. Google alone was tracking users on nearly 75 percent of the 22,000 websites analyzed. And many of the sites’ privacy policies failed to mention the presence of third-party trackers while others lacked privacy policies altogether. (EDITORS: Additional information)
• Early universe
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are part of an international effort to create the largest ground-based cosmic microwave background (CMB) observatory ever built. As members of the Simons Observatory collaboration, Mark Devlin and his team are building the sensor that will sit at the “heart” of this cluster of cutting-edge telescopes. Located in the high Atacama Desert in northern Chile, the Observatory will measure CMB, the residual radiation left behind by the Big Bang nearly 14 billion years ago, to learn more about the first moments of the early universe. (EDITORS: Additional information)
• Alzheimer's
Using PET scans to image amyloid protein deposits in the brain is becoming a more common means for predicting Alzheimer’s disease and evaluating patients with symptoms of dementia in both clinical and research settings. However, recent studies have suggested that this measurement may not be directly linked to cognitive performance. A new study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and Thomas Jefferson University found that measuring glucose consumption in the brain is a more effective and sensitive endpoint than amyloid protein deposits. “Our results support the notion that amyloid imaging does not reflect levels of brain function, and therefore it may be of limited value for assessing patients with cognitive decline,” said co-principal investigator Abass Alavi. (EDITORS: Additional information)
• Memory motion
A familiar tune has the ability to take the listener to another time and place. In the University of Pennsylvania Health System’s Memory in Motion program patients with dementia reconnect with their past through the power of music. The program, housed under the Penn Memory Center, encourages patients with dementia and their caregivers to move and dance while listening to musical oldies. “So many studies show the incredible memories recalled in connection with music. They become completely different people,” said Colby Damon, a former professional dancer who leads the group. “It’s important for me to help people who are living with dementia still have a high quality of life, to find experiences that can enrich their daily lives.” (EDITORS: Additional information)
