Ag Education and Social Media

 

"Every time you open the refrigerator, you shake hands with agriculture."

 

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Dean Bruce McPheron said this in one of my classes that he guest lectured in while explaining that some people think agriculture doesn't mean anything to them.  Actually, they are really seeing agriculture every day in the food they eat, furniture they use, clothes they wear and in pretty much everything they do.  They only think ag doesn't affect them because they don't see the farmers' labor (only what they see in the store or restaurant) or live where it is geographically impossible to see farm land.

 

Most Americans today are at least three generations removed from the farm.  Less than 2% of the United States population grows the food that all 100% eats.  In order to connect that gap from farmer to consumer, the ag community has turned to effective education methods, one being social media.  This is a growing trend.  Ninety-eight percent of farmers ages 18-25 have Internet access and 76% of them use social media.

 

With so many users online, social media can reach a wider range of public to teach them about agriculture. 

 

Facebook

The most common source for me to see ag in social media is on Facebook because I use that the most.  Facebook pages are common for businesses in various sectors of the industry to keep their customers updated, independent photographers who capture daily life on the farm, special interest groups, and event promotion.

 

These are some examples of those pages:

• Keeping it Real:  Through the Lens of a Farm Girl (Taking snapshots of the agricultural world as it really happens in central Illinois)                                                          
• Thank a Farmer (Highlights agricultural happenings around the US, fun pictures of farm life)
• The Arboretum at Penn State (showcases the beauty of horticulture, a part of agriculture)
• Lancaster Farming (special farming newspaper created a page to share major headlines, local farming happenings, and allows the public to share events; public can go here and learn about community events they can attend)
• Central Susquehanna Counties of Penn State Cooperative Extension  (advertises upcoming workshops and programs, and access to publications that are available for farmers AND non-farmers)
• Kraft Foods-Corporate (big time ag corporation keeps customers updated on products and features stories on where their products are grown) 

YouTube

YouTube is another source ag advocates use to educate.  From here, the public can see what farmers do on a regular day (the popular fun summer 2012 parody I'm Farming and I Grow It had 1 million views in a matter of days) or explain a farming process. 

 

Green Careers:  Sustainable Agriculture- this video follows a real farmer, shows the work he does and he explains the job description, from this we learn how busy a farmer's life is and that it doesn't just include growing the crops but also marketing and economics

 

Blogs

Blogs are a little more scattered and mostly (from what I've seen) ag businesses who are using social media to interact with their customers.  Some however give advice to farmers, follow a day in the life of a farmer or high school ag teacher, how drought will affect the food market, food facts and more.  Some examples include:

• Connecting Gate to Plate  (various ag topics)
• Alex Tiller's Blog on Agriculture and Farming
• Organic Farming Blog (This blog was created for people with a passion for farming the organic way and for those wanting to learn)  
• Off the Cob: As Harvest Speeds Up, Please Slow Down post (caution to drivers to be aware of large farming equipment they are sharing the roads with--a huge combine and small hybrid car do not opperate the same way!)

Why Social Media is Important to Education

Social media allows the same story to be told over and over to a wide audience.  With word of mouth, the real story can be twisted into whatever the sender wants it to be.  With these resources, those of us in the ag community can tell the REAL story about hard work, long hours, how food is produced and opportunities to interact with agriculture.  The best part of these sites are that they all allow for public response; someone can post a question and have immediate access to answers. 

 

 Someone who visits these pages and others like them will come away knowing a little more than they did about ag and be able to help us tell the real story before others tell it for us.