Schroon Laker Beti Spangel spells out exactly what the recent New York State grant to get broadband service to the greater Schroon area will mean for her and her fledgling business, in this excellent piece she penned for the farming blog, Social Solo. Writes Beti:

"Not only will this be a boon to all local businesses, it will enable local farms to have better service and communication with their customers. Farms in the more rural areas will be able to have more affordable and dependable Internet service, letting them reach more customers and increase the profitability of their farms".

Simply put, the new grant will mean the difference between success or failure for many businesses. And if there was ever a time for a small business to have access to the tools they need to succeed, it's right now.

"For small startups like myself, faster Internet means a lifeline of being able to network and communicate more readily with other agricultural folks.

The access Beti and her husband Larry have to the internet is so poor that they head to a local bar to use the free Wi-Fi to get important business done. This tongue in cheek line from her story is a real zinger:

"My husband and I do a full-bore computing session on our laptops once a week or so from our local tavern, which has wireless; while it’s nice, it has the potential to turn us into alcoholics."

Read the full story and check out Beti's blog, The 30 Acre Wood.