This past summer was hot. What may be a beach lover's dream is not so fun for farmers when the sun stays out for weeks at a time. That's what happened this year in the Mid-west. The drought that happened months ago is now really affecting the prices we pay at the store. Customers are quick to complain about those prices while the farmer loses a large part of their planned income for the year. But many consumers don't understand why the prices change. To help that, farmers are taking to social media to further explain this issue.
On Twitter, #drought12 is used to talk about all things drought related. Many farmers who use this post pictures of their damaged or poor crop so that consumers can see what to expect in the coming months. It is also a great way for the general public to be sympathetic to what the farmer is going through. This article shows some of the pictures that are being posted. As one farmer mentions, this method of sharing involves the consumer on daily happenings on the farm. With concerns about farm visitors spreading disease between multiple farms, this provides a safe way to share information from the farmers themselves.
Farmers are also using social media as a sort of virtual support group. One farmer--mentioned in the article above--uses various services to advertise the ways he's making up for his crop loses. This is a way for other farmers to think of similar solutions.
Other ways social media is being used by small family farmers include asking advice of other farmers or experts for a quick response and to reach government officials. Besides the drought situation, advice can come in handy for something as small-scale as a pest in a field. Government understanding is especially beneficial during years (such as 2012) that the Farm Bill is renewed, granting financial assistance for certain crops.
This is such an interesting topic. Since farming is such a traditional type of income and practice, it is honestly one of the last areas I would have thought to use new social media. However, I think their use of Twitter is great, especially the hashtag. It is great to get the word out about how the drought has effected the farmers, and it may even persuade consumers to buy more produce in their support. Your blog also made me wonder if my teammates' families who are farmers have considered using social media. If their parents are not up to speed with Twitter or other social networking sites, I am sure my teammates could help them out a great deal.
ReplyDeleteThis is not a topic that I am usually drawn too, but your post is very interesting and really got me to think. People, in the United States and developed countries in particular, take for granted the farming industry. We want our produce and food products on the shelves and priced down. Meanwhile we often forget how hard Farmer's work and how important they are to our survival. Nevermind the fact that sometimes they can't even control what happens during their season because of things like droughts! I really enjoyed your post, and thank you for reminding me to take a step back and appreciate the opportunities that farmers give us. I think social media is a great way for Farm's to reach out to their consumers and open up the communication.
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that farmers are taking a stand and informing the social media world what is really going on behind the scenes. To be honest, I had no idea that there was a drought in the Midwest, and I didn't know that it was negatively affecting farmers. Social media is a great way to connect with people who share similar lifestyles and interests as you, and that's what makes Twitter a special bonding tool for farmers. I personally think it's wonderful that farmers are showing their support for each other and sharing their stories on Twitter. With a more sympathetic look into the lifestyles of farmers, outsiders, like me, will be able to better understand why prices of goods are going up. It is better to informed and understanding than uninformed and complaining.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a unique topic to choose since I would not assume that agriculture would utilize social media. However, it does show that social media is a growing phenomenon and vital asset for every industry. Social media is a beneficial way for people to connect and in this example, social media is a platform for farmers to ask advice and as a virtual support group. This is a topic that I generally do not find an interest in but this was an intriguing post since it showed the different ways that people and industries show social media.
ReplyDeleteI really love how small farms are taking to social media to engage their audiences and disseminate important messages that normally would be able to get out. Many local farmers do not have advertising (or so I have seen) so social media helps them let audiences what is going on and address their questions. I think it's really awesome how small farms are coming together via social media and creating their own network of support. Being able to share photos, give advice on how they are overcoming the issue and asking leaders for advice is really inspiring. It's great to see that smaller markets and businesses are utilizing social media and creating their own networks.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very different topic than I am used to reading, but I found myself drawn to what you had to say about small farms and the struggle the farmers had this summer due to a drought. Social media never fails to amaze me in how many ways it can help so many people all at once and I am glad it helped the farmers gain attention and awareness of the drought effects. Using Twitter was very smart of the farmers because I believe it is the one social media tool that has the most power to reach a lot of different people all at once. Using the hash tag, #drought12, was also very smart to specify the problem even more, which lead for more people to pay attention to what was going on. Also, I think it was a great idea for the farmers to use Twitter to gain a social support group! Seeing people that are not from your area reach out when in need is a great feeling. That is also another reason why I love Twitter because you are able to connect to millions of people around the country and find similarities where you thought didn’t exist. I wonder if Twitter and other social media sites will be used in the future as a way to help farmers prepare better incase another drought occurs. It will be interesting to see how Twitter will be more used for agricultural topics and businesses.
ReplyDeleteJeanette, what and awesome and unique topic! You really have a passion for Agriculture and that is really inspiring. My boyfriend grew up in Central PA as well and his family goes to the local meat market for their meats and Meyer's dairy for their milk (it still comes in glass bottles which is awesome!). It was such a different world for me as first because I grew up in Allentown and although it is not Philly, it still is disconnected from the farming community. I find it very important as well to discover where our food comes from and that they are many people, such as your family, who work very hard to get it to us.
ReplyDeleteI find that many people find farming old fashioned, so it is great that farmers are using social media to their advantage! Connecting with other farmers is a huge advantage because it can offer advice or how they were dealing with the drought.
Excellent insights Jeanette! I would have never put farming and social media together, but now I will keep it in mind.
While I know that social media extends to all topics and areas, I never thought about farming being one of them! This post was not on a topic I normally am interested in, but your insights were fantastic. While not the most fun topic, the Drought12 hashtag is an important one. By using that hashtag on a site that is not agriculturally based it allows those outside of the farming community to learn about the issues affecting the food they consume. Personally I would never join a social media site exclusively about farming, so having this type of discussion on a site I already belong to is a great way to stay informed with no extra effort needed!
ReplyDeleteJeannette is clearly a person who enjoys agriculture. I feel that this blog is a good find and well written on her part. Many people don’t even think about how their foods come to them or how it was grown. What happens when there is a drought and a shortage of food? Now that there is an increasing amount of information flowing across social media sites, the knowledge of a problem in the country greatly gets noticed. I’m glad farmers can communicate and unite by using twitter.
ReplyDeleteYour post shows that social media is helpful for a wide range of people, including farmers. Being able to interact with other farmers using the hashtag #drought12 could help farmers across the country who are being effected negatively by the drought get through it. Through social media, farmers can exchange ideas on how they are managing their farms during the drought. The hashtag can also bring people who would not be normally interested in farming to understand the negative effects of the drought and bring national attention to the issue.
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