If anything, it will keep small family farms viable by allowing them to tap into niche markets, said Bruce Babcock, director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University. Denise and Doug Bishop of Manchester have used the Internet to follow prices and weather. Now, they want to go further. Emerging online companies devoted to agriculture are making that possible.
Some biotechnology companies think they can do it.
And a few Kentucky leaf growers are already producing tobacco destined for the lab, not the warehouse. The research firms hope their work with tobacco will lead to new vaccines and drugs. Kamuf uses five of his 5,000 acres near Owensboro to grow leaf for an upstart biotechnology company. This is going to be a crop that's good for health. Farmers do not expect biotechnology research to have an immediate impact on their business, which faces continuing troubles including the federal government's announcement this month of a 45 percent quota cut.