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I’ve got questions. So do 70 million others.

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

Generation Y has left quite the mark on our society – haven’t we?

For those of you who just clicked on the link above- yes, I just cited Wikipedia. And yes, I can do that because I am Generation Y. I’m independent. I make my own rules. Sometimes I follow the rules of those that I respect highly. Furthermore, I’m both “high-performance and high-maintenance,” as this USA Today article put it.

If you aren’t one of us, we’re easy to spot. Harry Potter was our Peter Pan. Eminem is our comeback kid and the names Blink-182, Britney Spears and Creed all have a special place in our hearts.

But that’s all in the past now. What does a Gen Yer like me do now that Britney’s back at the gym and Harry Potter has come to an end? I do just what everyone else does. I juggle a career in agriculture, a husband, a house, time at the gym, volunteering, spending time online and whatever else I need to do.

Generation Y, Social Media, Blog, CartoonWhile I don’t spend every second online like some of our youngest Gen Yers, it’s a part of my life I couldn’t live without and it has hugely impacted my “agvocacy”, advocating for agriculture. Aside from agvocacy, it’s my direct link to answering questions, a lip-smacking recipe for dinner and a community of people who care about me. I explore topics that interest me on blogs, Google, Facebook and Twitter. I’m always looking for new ways, like Pinterest or Google+, to organize my overload of information. But to be honest, I don’t have the time to get to know technology or every topic as good as I should.

So what do I do? I rely on an online network of people I’ve built to provide me with trustworthy information. I seek out blogs that I trust, people on Twitter I’ve had meaningful conversations with, and webpages or Facebook pages that give me a glimpse into things I don’t understand.

Most recently, I became involved with a group of Rockin’ Rural Women that are on both Twitter and Facebook. There are about 800 of us nationwide. We come together to celebrate all things are rural- our livelihoods, our dreams, our values. Simply put, you don’t need to be a cowgirl but do you need to love dirt under your fingernails. Last week we had a chat on Facebook and Twitter about holiday stress and how we (as women) de-stress. It’s always a great time. Such good people. Such good prizes.

So what does this mean to you? To me? To agvocacy?

We need to consider taking time to break out of our everyday routines and to be a part of online relationships- not just conversations. The relationships need to be honest, transparent and meaningful, just like offline relationships are.

Twitter is a great place to do this type of online relationship building. While there millions of more people still on MySpace compared to those of us on Twitter, I have found Twitter to be a highly influential and engaged place to build relationships. Pick a TV show, hobby or interest you enjoy and follow the Twitter hashtag. Connect with a few new people every week and grow those relationships. This will allow you to go “beyond the choir” that you engage with daily or weekly and truly reach people outside of agriculture circle you already know well.

Do you blog? Find a new blog or two that shares a common interest or hobby and comment on those blogs. Establish a relationship with the blogger and invite them to read your blog. It’s amazing how these connections can go so deep.

I tend to find, when a non-agriculture person I have built a relationship with online has a question about food or farming, they often will think of me as a resource to go to with their question. It’s just one way my agvocacy impacts the online relationships I have built.

Take it from a Gen Yer, I understand it’s easy to get caught in our own world and our own circles- days are long, time is short, and even the lowest maintenance, “high-maintenance Gen Yer” has too many things to do. But there are 70 million of us Gen Yers out there and we all have questions about everything from fashion to food. Do you want to help answer?

Jodi OleenJodi Oleen is a thirty-something Floridian-turned-Kansan. She is recently married and works for a farmer led organization in The Little Apple. She has a undergraduate degree in Animal Science with an Equine Option and a Master’s degree in Food and Resource Economics, both from University of Florida. Find her on Twitter or Facebook, or check out mycousinisvegan.wordpress.com.

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Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Social Media, Technology | 2 Comments »

Being the Food & Mom Bridge

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

~guest post by Jennifer Elwell, guest blogger

Mom blogger on food & farmsEven though I work in communications, I will admit that I was a bit late to get caught up in the social media phenomenon. When a friend finally talked me into getting onto Facebook a couple years ago, I was slow to start sharing information about what I do for my day job, working for farmers. But then in walks, “Food, Inc.” and a dozen other attacks on our modern food system and my farmers. That was the fuel to start my personal “I support farmers and modern agriculture” fire.

I immediately put on my “P.R.” hat and thought about how I could be a bridge between the farmer and the consumer. Well, I am the consumer. I am a mom. I purchase and cook food for my family. But having the opportunity to work with farmers and see how they are producing our food, I knew that I did not share the same concerns that others have developed by listening to the “our food system is not ethical, safe and is making us fat” agenda. From that, a new project, “Food, Mommy!” was born. I never thought I would become a mommy blogger, but here I am.

I have been blogging for a little over a year now, but have only in the last few months been making regular posts. In the beginning I was trying to hit pretty complicated and controversial topics, but have learned that this approach may not be the best way to connect with your audience. Tough topics are usually more time-consuming to compose and they were burning me out. I felt I had to have several hours to dedicate to one post, which often discouraged me from writing.

More recently I have been trying to incorporate simpler items like recipes (although I am not much of cook), notes on my food shopping experiences, photos, and personal posts about my food production experiences (thank goodness for farmers!). I have also tried to share others’ information that resonates with me through Twitter and Facebook. Showing an interest in others’ efforts has definitely helped me build a social network and has increased my readership beyond family, friends and the farm community. Just a few days ago I was able to meet a few members of a new “Kentucky Food Bloggers Association.” While many of the members may not share my viewpoint, I am proud that I am now reaching an audience that is beyond my comfort zone.

What I love most right now about social media is that my thoughts about food and the way I communicate about my passion are evolving. I look at myself as someone who sits on the fence between the farmer and the consumer and I am learning from both sides. I am more careful now than when I started to not generalize about what farmers are doing or what consumers are thinking. I am trying to ask everyone questions and try to find answers that bridge the gap. Be ing able to share your personal experiences are the fruit of social media, but having someone listen and respond is dessert.

 

Jennifer Elwell grew up on a small farm in Louisville, KY with horses, goats, chickens, rabbits and lots of hay.  Her love of horses and involvement in 4-H landed her at the University of Kentucky, studying animal sciences and agricultural communications. Her first job out of college was creating web sites for local daily newspaper, The Courier-Journal, but soon snagged the job of Communications Director of the Kentucky Corn Growers Association and Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association. She has worked for these farmer-led associations since 1998, but the blog is her own work. She has two children, a few horses, and most recently became a chicken herder, providing doses of humor, frustration and frequent threats of divorce from my husband. In addition to supporting our farmers, Jennifer wants to help parents foster healthier eating habits in their children. Find her on Facebook, follow @foodmommy on Twitter or check out her most popular blog post with nearly 2,800 reads, ““Why I don’t buy organic, most of the time”

* Note from MPK: It’s been fun watching Jennifer grow in social media and become the bridge between farm and food through moms. I hope you enjoy her post as an example of how you have to make your advocacy efforts personal and targeted.

 

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Posted in Advocacy, Moms, Nutrition, Social Media | 1 Comment »

Thinking about food

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

Yesterday I witnessed a real-time conversation about food and farming, intersected by virtual participation and live video feed. It was a fascinating experience to be in the audience at UC-Davis, help stimulate the social media conversation and see the behind-the-scenes effort that went into these Food Dialogues that the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance also hosted in New York City, D.C. and Fair Oaks, Indiana.

Chefs, farmers, mainstream media, food scientists, academia, ranchers and even those with viewpoints different than traditional agriculture were on the panels. An array of topics included sustainability, food safety, local foods, biotechnology, hormones, antibiotics, manure, soil, environmental practices, ethics, animal welfare, social responsibility, national security and food labels. Questions flew from all over the country, drawn from the audience – as well as Twitter, Facebook and the Food Dialogues website. After a few early techno glitches, it was a wonderful example of the many ways we can have a conversation integrating real time and social media.

 

Farmer Consumer research The most interesting part of the day was watching 4,000+ tweets and probing a bit further in the online conversations. The long-term value to this day is digging deeper to identify where farmers and non-farmers can connect.  The reality is we share common values, but there’s a lot of misinformation driving us apart. Common values must prevail or we all lose. 72% of consumers know nothing or very little about farming. That screams opportunity for the majority of folks reading this!

As I reflect on the conversation, this is what my crystal ball says:

* Farmers and the general public both value sustainability. And most agree that it has environmental, social and economical components. So why do we have to fight about what a sustainable operation is?  According to the new USFRA research, 99% of farmers say they care about environmental practices while nearly 3/4 of consumers are concerned about the use of pesticides and insecticides used in farming. There’s a connection!

* Scripted folks come off as less than genuine. Farmers  sharing their story, even if it’s one of large family operation, are considered authentic. And transparency about what you really do on your farm or ranch trumps any argument. Yet that transparency is incredibly hard to define.

* Passion connects on an emotional level.  Passionate ag and food people attract others like bees to honey. Sure, some can be passionate naysayers, but it’s a small percentage. Why not find common points in your passion to get excited about farming and food together?  Hint: this means you have to rein your passion in enough to listen to each other.

* There is confusion in both the farm and consumer ranks about the effect of government regulations on farming. Consumers are seeking more information on this, so your personal stories about regulations will help build understanding.

* Animal welfare matters. It is important to people buying food – and farmers must talk about how today’s practices are actually better for the animals.

* Feeding a growing population appears to be important to everyone around the food plate, but it’s more top-of-mind to farmers and ranchers. There’s a significant chance to connect through this social good conversation.

Who was missing in these Food Dialogues? A more diverse subset of farmers – small, medium sized and organics to add to the larger producer mix. Given health professional influence over people’s food choices and beliefs, it makes sense to include more dietitians and doctors. I’m sure there will be additional opportunities to plug them into the conversation in the future.

More than 2/3 of those purchasing food are thinking about how it’s produced on a regular basis. Consumers are looking for information about farming. All of us in agriculture have to determine if we’re willing to give it to them – even during planting season, winter, harvest or summer heat stress. Are you willing to step into the conversation? If you don’t, there are plenty of people who will be glad to continue the food confusion.

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Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Animal Rights, Consumer Trust, Environment, Farmer, Food, Social Media | 8 Comments »

Leveraging the spirit of agvocacy; it’s bigger than you!

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

How many voices in the conversation?

The last month has been spent on leveraging efforts to connect farm and food through the AgChat Foundation’s Agvocacy 2.0 Conference.  115 farmers, ranchers and ag professionals from the U.S. and Canada were invited to take part in ACFC11 at the end of August. Not a huge number. But I figure they each are capable of reaching at least 1,000 people with their own story.  Which means the reach will likely be at least 115,000 – far more than any singular voice (unless you sing or dance, which I don’t).

One such case – a small producer and processor in Kentucky. We asked Amy Sipes to be a part of ACFC11 panel on how to reach beyond agriculture. She expressed a great deal of concern about having to speak in front of people – many can relate to this fear. But she really wanted to help other agvocates, so she took the risk (with a few promises on my part). I was so proud of her as a very well-spoken, intelligent woman stood on stage. She brought wonderful authenticity and communicated so effectively from both a processor’s and producer’s viewpoint. I didn’t ask her, but am certain that her presentation would never had happened without the confidence social media has given her. That’s the power of the community in action. Watch her and see what you think…I KNOW she touched a lot of hearts that day in Nashville (and you might be surprised at what she has to say).

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If you want more, you can follow Amy on Twitter – and get some humor in the mix. Another person who always brings levity to any conversation is the CNN-famous Steve Tucker from the middle-of-nowhere Nebraska. After hundreds of conversations, I finally met Tykerman1 (and hugged him instead of shaking his hand). A few months ago, I noticed he was in NYC and wondered what a farmer was doing there and tweeting about Central Park when he should have been in the field. As you can see in this clip, he apparently was the comedian of the New York 140 Conference - and did an incredible job of bringing agriculture top-of-mind in a very personable way.

There were many highlights from ACFC11 – from having a refreshing few minutes sitting with a newer agvocate to teach him Twitter (shout out to @SDgriller) to laughing with friends while listening to nails-on-the-chalkboard music in the evening hours. One highlight was the panel of mom bloggers we brought in; these ladies really cemented the necessity of the conversation – and the difficulty agriculture has in hearing “outside” perspectives without getting defensive. Another – and the most meaningful time I spent at the conference – was a small group discussion on how to lead people to social media. We went well beyond the allotted time, simply talking and exchanging ideas about the challenges of getting the hard-headed ag community to understand this “new” tool. It was a great reminder of the spirit of agvocacy and the diverse interests we have in agriculture – and the power of us coming together!

farmers social media

Thanks to Amanda Sollman, Kathy Swift, John Blue, Drew Bender, Jeff Fowle, Ryan Weeks, Mace Thornton, Dan Toland & Chris Raines (not pictured) for serving on the Training Committee.

Hundreds of volunteer hours made that happen…a training committee that planned the entire conference virtually. You can see we like to have a bit of fun – but I hope those involved will take a moment to thank them for all of the time and talent they invested. Over 25 speakers and moderators volunteered their time and talent to deliver best-in-the business content and many others contributed so graciously.

In the last decade, my role in agricultural advocacy has changed from being in front of the pack to trying to “herd” agricultural advocates in the same general direction. This conference was a good reminder of that; empowering people with the right tools and engaging a community is so much bigger than any one individual.

It’s exciting to see agvocates come into their own, step out of their comfort zone, find a place they can really make an impact – and then help others do the same. That leads to more people talking about food and farm – and everything in between – which is a far larger conversation than I could have accomplished. How are you leveraging your efforts?

 

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Posted in Agriculture, Farmer, Food, Moms, Motivation, Social Media, Technology | 4 Comments »

A Dirty Dozen: Agvocacy in Action

Monday, August 1st, 2011

We started our 10 year anniversary with a challenge: pick an agvocacy idea to multiply your voice tenfold. Leveraging voices between the farm gate and consumer plate is the goal of 10x Connect, so we’re providing a “dirty dozen” of our most popular  blog posts to provide you food for thought.

The Tears I’ve Shed…Animal Abuse
An  emotional response to another animal rights activist video. A must read for anyone concerned about dairy farmers abusing calves. Michele offers a personal glimpse of how food producers feel watching these videos and illustrates the misrepresentation by comparing prostitutes to farmers.

Farm and Ranch Blogs
Our collection of farm & ranch blogs from across the United States, Canada and several countries around the world continues to be a popular destination for people searching for food, farm and ag information. Click on the region links to see blogs from specific states.

What Shape is Your Food Plate?
Have you considered ways for all sides of our food system to connect equally, whether it’s the farmer, scientist, nutrition expert or consumer? The circular food plate  gives people the opportunity to reach across, shake hands, and find common interests.  MPK points to science, accuracy and credibility as hot buttons with food producers, dietitians and scientists that can help them work together to educate people about food. Research shows that the less people know, the more afraid they’re likely to be.

Grab an idea from this dozen & cook it up to your own tastes.

I eat. You farm. So what?
A farmer walks into a suburban grocery store and talks with a food consumer. Read here for a conversation on hormones, pesticides, animal abuse, subsidies, biotechnology where there’s a connection made between two humans.

10 Rules of Online Engagement for the Kicking and Screaming
Guest blogger Dan Toland of Ohio Farm Bureau provides 10 tips for farmers and agvocates online – even those who are fighting the internet and social media. He points to a 52% increase in consumer trust on websites as a credible source on food system issues as reason enough to join the discussion. It’s time to step outside your comfort zone and be engaged in real, live and honest-to-goodness online conversations about what you do.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream…
MPK hosted a party celebrating all the flavors of advocacy during National Ice Cream Month.  Lots of fun flavors from all over the U.S. and Canada.

Advancing Social Media for Agriculture
We’re bombarded by 13,000 marketing messages each day, now largely due to new media. Watch the Evolution of Online Agvocacy  if you want to see more.  All of this social media mania is also building a fear that humans may just stop having real conversations -after all, we can just text, direct message, instant message, Facebook or email (how old school!). Nothing could be further from the truth, based upon the energy level of a group of farmers, ranchers and agricultural folks this week at the inaugural AgChat Foundation Agvocacy 2.0 Conference.

Why Farmers Should NOT Speak Up
A highly sarcastic look at 15 reasons why farmers and ranchers should not tell their story. Why start the year on a resolution when you can kick it off with satire? Great quotes from ag people added to MPK’s sarcasm. Post your reason – let’s get all the excuses out of the way so we can laugh a little – and then have a productive year as agvocates!

The Integrity of Humane Care
How would you feel if your family was  video taped in secrecy in your own home? MPK shares the feelings of farmers in this situation with animal rights videos.  She questions the integrity of an agenda-driven group producing videos while disregarding private property, biosecurity, food safety and employee protocol.

Cow’s need nutritionists? Don’t they just eat grass?
There are many similarities and a few key differences between the nutritional demands of a cow and a human. Robin Rastani, a nutritionist for dairy cattle, explains her common goal with human dietitians – providing a healthy, balanced diet within a budget for our clients. A guest post that provides a great example of connecting science of agriculture to food interests.

The Sin of Animal Agriculture
Generations removed from the farm means we no longer have conversation that animals die for us to eat. Somehow, we need to get back to understanding that farmers raise animals for food – animals that are very different than Fido or Fluffy.  Those farm animals take things we can’t eat or drink and convert them to life sustenance.Those of us in agriculture need to learn to better communicate that we are grateful for the sacrifice that farm animals pay so that we can eat. Not just to feed people in cities, but our families, too.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Good or Bad?
Will HFCS harm baby Blue? Guest blogger MRS talks about reading the stance of other mommy bloggers and how compelling their passion is – until she read a a registered dietitian’s blog about the body treats high fructose corn syrup the same as table sugar.  Is HFCS really one of the foods that pose a health risk or simply something to be consumed in moderation?

So…how can you apply these ideas to your world?  Take 15 minutes today to adapt one of them to your world, in the interest of connecting farm gate to food plate.

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Posted in Advocacy, Agriculture, Consumer Trust, Farmer, Farming, Social Media | 3 Comments »

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