Ag Comm 367

Today the Honeyhole gets a bit of a different post for my friends in Ag Comm 367!

The social media movement in the agricultural industry has been a night and day within the past five years.  While agriculturalists have always tried to educate people about how they raise food for consumers, it is just recently that they have tried to actually connect with consumers.  The difference between these two methods is truly great considering the impact that it is beginning to have. The reason for this deeper impact is the addition of an emotional and personal touch on how agriculturalists communicate.

This technique appears to have appeared to come from the very groups that have taken stands against conventional agriculture. The best example of using emotion to help aid your cause is Wayne Pacelle's blog A Humane Nation, Wayne who is the President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States posts about the charitable acts that HSUS is involved in.  These stories pull on your heartstrings, and are what have lead to the large amount of money and support that HSUS has amassed in recent history. Not only do these blogs help fuel the movement, but the use of Twitter and Facebook help bring readers in and also help keep the conversation going on both sides of the issue. 

Taking a play from HSUS's play book, agriculturalists have started to use the same techniques to build more support.  Farmers, business owners, and passionate agriculturalists are now blogging, tweeting, networking on Facebook, and posting pictures all about the world of agriculture.  The blog Confessions of a Farmers Wife allows readers to follow the life of a wife of a farmer.  This insight gives people the chance to connect on a personal level with the world of agriculture.  While this seems like a menial step, it does show consumers that farmers are people as well as producers.

The social media movement is still young in the realm of agriculture.  However the movement is growing and this growth is both for agriculturalists posting and followers.  Hopefully through continued emphasis on the importance of a social movement, farmers will be able to connect with more consumers and help them understand the joys of agriculture.

CP