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Survey finds farmers prefer in-person advice to online help

A University of Illinois study says farmers still prefer face-to-face advice over online tools.

The university was one of three colleges funded in the 2014 Farm Bill to develop online tools to help producers make program choice decisions.  The Illinois campus then surveyed 721 farmers and landowners.  The survey revealed that about 20% of them were aware of online decision-making tools, but did not use them.  Most farmers told researchers they still prefer to discuss farm program options with their local Farm Service Agency agent.

Illinois researchers say more farmers are willing to use online services than before, and they suggest these tools can be complementary to in-person visits as shrinking budgets make it challenging for extension educators to meet with producers.

Most of the farmers that responded to the survey were males around 55-years-old from the Midwest.

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