Broadband No. 1 priority for INFB

INDIANAPOLIS — Expanding broadband to rural areas will be the No.1 priority for Indiana Farm Bureau in 2021.

“Expanding broadband to the last mile has been a priority of Farm Bureau for several years, but when the pandemic came, everyone understood just how important it was to be able to connect to the internet,” said INFB President Randy Kron during the INFB Virtual State Convention.

“So, for the 2021 legislative session, we will focus on expanding broadband to the unserved and underserved in order to support education, remote work, telehealth and ag technology.”

2021 Legislative Priorities

The organization solidified its priorities for next year at the Virtual State Convention.

• Continue expansion of rural broadband.

• Request funds for inspection staff at Board of Animal Health and rural K-12 education.

• Increase flexibility for home-based vendor food processing and for marketing of value-added products.

• Improve transparency and functionality of the Indiana Grain Buyers and Warehouse Licensing Agency.

• Improve assessment uniformity across the property tax base.

“Budget is one thing they will work on next year,” Kron said. “We’re looking at K-12 education, especially for rural schools, trying to make sure our members are on a level playing field with others.”

Kron applauded INFB members for being resilient during a difficult year.

“In a very unconventional year, our members rose to the moment,” he said. “Farmers know how to adapt to a changing environment. I’m very proud of our members and our staff for what we’ve been able to accomplish. The convention allows us to highlight some of that.”