Shively uses a cell phone himself, as most farmers do. But ironically, he can't get a signal on some parts of his farm. He's charged a roaming fee when he picks up signals from a tower that's not on his property. They want to have the same access that their city cousins do. But a certain rural contingent has begun to speak out against the towers.
Opponents say they're unattractive and they fear the health risks to people and animals.
The towers emit electromagnetic radiation, but so far, there is no scientific evidence that the low-frequency waves are harmful to humans. Research has focused on the cell phones themselves. Critics charge that the towers are potentially dangerous as well, but no organization is monitoring them to determine their health effects. June Varner, an organic farmer in Little Falls, Minnesota, has been trying to stop the construction of a tower a quarter mile from her property. In addition to personal health concerns, she's worried that the tower will alter the flight patterns of pesticide spray planes, re-routing them over her land and affecting her ability to farm organically.