9/23/2015
Regional Women in Agriculture
September 2015
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 Ag Literacy or “Agvocacy”
 Who’s telling the stories on social media?
 Are stakeholder/Extension voices there?
 What do they know, think they know?
Understanding the changing demographic
Promoting and marketing
Understanding the tools/platforms
Setting up a plan that works
 Who is going to do it?
My Generation +>
 May or may not do social media
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Varying rates of Internet access
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Prefers face to face interaction
Reads newspapers
Varied sources – slower digestion – news in details
Cautious
Baby Boomers
New Generations -<
 Social media is primary
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Extremely connected
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Connect via smart phone
Does not read newspapers
Rapid pace – ease of sharingheadlines
Impulsive
Millennials and Gen X
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You say …
Our methods are proven safe.
Most farms are family-run.
We care about our land and animals.
We keep food affordable.
We NEED to produce more to
FEED the world.
We have the safest food supply in the world thanks to the ag industry.
We need a secure domestic food supply.
They hear …
Your methods tamper with nature.
At what expense to quality?
But beholden to big processors and the bottom line.
You will take profitable short cuts when and if you can.
You WANT to produce more to SELL to the world.
You want subsidies and lax regulations.
Pesticides, antibiotics and hormones might not be safe in the long-run.
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Method
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Websites
 Social Media
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Traditional Media
Ambassador
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Write letters
Appearances
Do you…
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Have an “about” feature that includes pictures?
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Identify one platform that you or a chosen person can use
Be a guest or contributing columnist
Speak to schools “career day” attend local meetings
Write letters to editors, letters to representatives
 What does your farm or business look like to the drive by visitor?
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Greenhouse/garden center
Farmers Market
Creamery
Poultry farmer
U-pick
Orchard
Grow for processing/grain
Events
Value Added/Retail
Agvocate
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Chipolte’s Original streaming comedy series depicting agriculture as industrial
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http://www.factoryfarmmap.org/
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Seed Signs
Some states not using
Makes farm look corporate?
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Vegans
Raw food advocacy
Plant-based diets
Vegetarians
Organic farmers and customers
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Huffington Post
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Progressive P.O.V.
October 2014
Factual article
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No hormones
Breed selection
Selective breeding
162 comments
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SM editor sets a tone
Changes headlines
14,442 + “likes”
6, 830 shares
Thousands of comments
Including me
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Vegans
Raw food advocacy
Plant-based diets
Vegetarians
Organic farmers and customers
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 Activists/Animal Rights/Vegan
 Engaged
 Passionate
 Organized
 Infiltrating
 Networked
 Dominate social media
 Dominate main stream media
 Oprah / Cargill
 Michael Pollan
 Use photos
 Videos
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Not current material
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Hormones/pesticides/antibiotics
Guilt
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Scare tactics
Production Agriculture is evil
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Female millennials are best spokesperson (convey value statements)
Talk to the audience – not to the reporter
Talk about your experience – not stats or public surveys
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“75% of Americans don’t want to eat GMO foods”
“In my experience, that many, if not all people care that the food I grow is healthy and safe.” “My children have been raised on the food we grow”
Share your values. You share concerns too
Use short analogies. Newspaper audience targets a 6 th grade level
Never dismiss concerns.
Set the stage (especially for broadcasts).
Use value statements over economic or science statements
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Have an “About Us”
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Family photos
History of business – old photos
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Value statement
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Our Philosophy
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Animal welfare, environment
What is important to you and how is it reflected in your business, or farm
Links to everyday life. This could be social media: Instagram, Flickr, Facebook,
Twitter
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Do
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Respond
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Be respectful
Say the content is upsetting
Express your values
State this is NOT typical
State how you or your farm/business do it differently
Post a picture or link
Don’t
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Ignore
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Call the poster crazy or a liar
Don’t question authenticity
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Who you are
What values do you have and do you share values with consumer
Your story
Relationship potential
Your story
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Makes me want Chipolte even more…though I am convinced they put crack in their chicken or something. I’m way to addicted to their tacos!
SHIRLEY: I saw this on TV for the first time last time. I think it played in the middle of the Grammys (which, except for Adele, was terrible.
Las year’s show was so good.)
PATTI: That was an awesome commercial!
ANGELA: Here in Ohio Chipolte supported hsus. I won’t eat there. Large farms are most likely family owned.
SHIRLEY: The land may be owned by the "family" . But the equipment, the feed, the animals and the schedules and animal husbandry are furnished by the corporation. The "family" ends up being high end sharcroppers, at the mercy of fuel and feed cost increases, and all the other hazards of agriculture. I've been through industrial chicken and hog facilities. I'm glad someone has noticed and acted accordingly.
SUE: Well, I guess I will jump into this discussion. I am torn about my feelings concerning this commercial. I am a poultry famer. The
"corporation" does not furnish the equipment or my schedule. I AM NOT a sharecropper. If am a correct, we all are at the mercy of rising fuel and feed cost. We work together with our intergrator to grow the healthiest chicken we possibly can. Our chickens and those of all the growers I know, are treated well. We constantly check them, watch the air quality, water quality and feed quality they receive. We worry about them and their health. Please check out www.realfarmersrealfood.com
. Here is a great quote from that site" It is in the farmer’s own best interest to see the animals in his charge treated humanely, guaranteeing him a healthy, high-quality animal, a greater return on his investment and a wholesome food product. No advertising campaign or salesman can convince a farmer to use a system or product that would harm an animal."
SHIRLEY: Sue, I am pleased with your comments. Do you decide what feed you give your chickens or does it come from the company? Do you decide what day they will deliver and pick up the chickens from your houses? I congratulate you if you have been able to pay off your investment in the houses and equipment before they are worn out and fully depreciated.
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What to do
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Blog
Post photos!
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube comments
Respond to comments
Tell your story!
What to say
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I understand your concern. I/we are concerned too
I’m glad you raised this issue
Acknowledge “bad actors
 Set yourself apart
Show concern for animals
We produce wholesome food. We donate to food banks
We look for varieties to reduce herbicides & fungicides
Family not factory
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NOT THIS
THIS!
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Pushing
 Your news
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What is coming to market
What is on sale
 Links to articles you want people to read
 Upcoming event
Pulling
 Asking audience to comment
 Ask a question or poll
 Fill in the blank
 Comment on their photos
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 Does your site allow submitted photos
Page to page comments
RTs – Thanks for follows
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Priority
 Twitter
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Flickr
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YouTube
Professional content blogs
Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram
Pinterest
Maybe
 Periscope (live broadcasts)
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Stakeholder blogs
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#GardenChat
#AgChat
#FoodChat
#FarmDE
#NetDE
#FarmMD
#NetMD
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#FarmMD
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#NetMD
#Garden
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#FoodSafety
#RuralMade
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Microblogging
Mobile friendly
Reporters
Legislators
Younger demographic
Targeted conversations
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#GardenChat
Mondays, 9 p.m., EST
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#AgChat
Tuesdays, 8-10 p.m., EST
 #FoodChat
Third Tuesdays, 8-10 p.m., EST
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Free with 1T of storage
Name images with keywords
Links to websites in descriptions
Link directly to Twitter
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HUGE SEO driver!
Do your images show up on Google search?
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Way to organize & back up photos
Huge driver for website!!!!!
Can make albums or individual pictures private, semi-private or public
Thousands see our content every day
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Do not upload camera file names
DSC_101
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Vineyard?
Produce stand?
Farmer’s market?
Creamery?
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If they search for “Delaware Ice
Cream” will you show up? Why not let your pictures tell your story, advocate for your business?
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Rename everything at upload to keywords
Tag photo
Use “description” area to post links to our website on key images
Great photos >>>creative commons
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Photo driven
Youth audience
Hashtags!
Simple to use
Comments
Allows re-posts to Tumbler, Twitter,
Facebook, Flickr
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Encourage Engagement!
Ask for opinions!
Respond on comments!
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Happy smiling people
Recipes
Guessing games
What do you think?
Fill in the blank
Caption this
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Guest blogger for CNN’s eatocracy
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 Common Ground www.findourcommonground.com
 U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance http://usfraonline.org/
 Farmers Feed Us http://www.farmersfeedus.org/
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Live webcams can counter disturbing images
Participating families to tell their stories – i.e., blog
68 http://youtu.be/Ua5PaSqKD6k http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/In side-a-Slaughterhouse-Video
Nicole Johnson-Hoffman
3:00 into video
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Capitalize on family history and the land
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Use Photos!
Tell your stories
Blog or keep websites up-to-date
Make corrective, polite comments
Use social media
Write guest columns
Visit schools
Create a business or farm YouTube video
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Offer you location for school tours
Leadership and sponsorship in the community
Maximize roadside impressions
Title your images with keywords
Nametags and information at
Farmer’s Markets
Let younger generation help with
YouTube and social media
Repeat your logo or develop a brand
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Center for Food Integrity
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 http://www.foodintegrity.org/
@foodintegrity
U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance
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 http://www.fooddialogues.com/
@USFRA Twitter
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Ag is America
Agisamerica.org
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“You are what you share”
~ C.W. Leadbeater, We Think: The Power of Mass Creativity
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