With 15 million acres under cultivation and about $6 billion in farm product sales per year, California’s Fresno County has some of the most productive agricultural land in the nation. The county sits in the San Joaquin Valley, which is responsible for more than half of California’s agricultural production. The region’s rich soil, abundant sun and Mediterranean climate mean that nearly 400 different types of crops are grown and harvested there — from oranges, pistachios, olives and alfalfa to peaches, tomatoes, almonds, cotton and broccoli.
Though connecting all rural areas with broadband is a national priority, why would anyone get fired up about blanketing this particular region with wireless broadband? For Fresno CIO Carolyn Hogg, the answer has to do with olive trees as wireless subscribers, tracking tomatoes from vine to dinner plate, self-driving tractors, and agricultural research and education that could boost the state’s economy and help feed the world. Hogg, along with a coalition of federal, state, private-sector and local interests, are working to secure high-speed wireless broadband to take the region’s agriculture to the next level.
