Art, such is the life of a farmer -- I know your pain, as my family lives on a farm and that is where I spent the first 18 years of my life.
Believe me when I tell you I tried to think of many schemes in which I could set up a long-distance 802.11b link. Even if it cost ~$2K to set up, it would pay itself back within 3 years just on the cost difference between DSL/cable (or direct fixed wireless) and satellite. Not to mention latency and bandwidth considerations...
Unfortunately, sometimes it's not really possible to do this if the terrain is too hilly or if there is nothing within 30 miles to connect to.
