Farmers Turn to the Web for Help

[undergroundrailroad]

Farmers Turn to the Web for Help



By JIM PAUL
The Associated Press
Monday, May 24, 2004; 2:14 AM

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - When Stanley Blunier needs help deciding when to buy crop insurance or how to keep track of his stored grain, he doesn't consult pricey professionals. He jumps online.

The University of Illinois' site farmdoc and others like it help farmers through the pitfalls of their profession in a farm economy that makes it a luxury to hire accountants and marketing consultants.

Farmdoc - an acronym for Farm Decision Outreach Central - is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year.


"It's a very good resource for documents that enhance or help me in my profession. That's one of the first places I'll go to look," said Blunier, who grows 1,500 acres of corn and soybeans and produces about 13,000 hogs per year on his central Illinois farm.

Judging from farmdoc's use - about 4,000 page requests per day - Blunier has plenty of company.