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Del.icio.us  Digg  facebook  MySpace  Twitter  Google  Bookmark Me  LinkedIn  StumbleUpon  Permalink   Stallman: Farmers must connect with consumers Social media viewed as pivotal new tool to help bridge the gap. Dan Grant  Published: Jun 17, 2010 Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and a cattle and rice producer from Texas, believes the job description of farmers must be expanded to keep up with consumer demands. Farmers and ranchers no longer can simply produce commodities and expect consumers to be satisfied, according to the AFBF president. Farmers in the information age also must engage consumers so they can learn about food production and develop or maintain trust with farmers who produce their food. “All of us in agriculture have a responsibility to share our story,” Stallman said this week at the AFBF public relations conference in Madison. “We need to make a connection with the public.” Stallman believes most consumers still trust farmers but more and more do not understand the industry as the U.S. population becomes increasingly urban and more generations removed from farming. More than 98 percent of Americans currently have no involvement in farming or the ag industry, according to the AgChat Foundation, which was created by farmers in April to empower producers to tell their stories to consumers. “People still think farmers are good people and have a high degree of trust,” Stallman said. “The problem is people are not sure what we do anymore is farming.” The AgChat Foundation was established to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers. The goal of the organization is to equip farmers with skills to use social media -- such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube -- to tell their story to consumers. The AgChat Foundation will host its first training session Aug. 30 and 31 in Chicago. For more information visit the website http://agchat.org. “Social media platforms are delivering the non-farmer to the farm,” said Tricia Braid Terry, communications director for the Illinois Corn Growers Association/Marketing Board, during a presentation at the AFBF conference. “Social media might seem mysterious and elusive but what it boils down to is just an online conversation,” she continued. “I’m talking about moving your coffee shop talk to your laptop.” Facebook currently has 450 million users while Twitter is adding a reported 300,000 new users per day and last week had a total of 106 million users. “Social media give us an opportunity to reach younger demographics,” Stallman said. “Those younger demographics will be the ones (in the future) making decisions that affect American agriculture.” But social media isn’t just a fad or limited to younger people. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55 to 65-year-old women, according to Terry, who serves on the AgChat Foundation board. Social media “are communications tools that must not be ignored,” Terry added. “This is a case where putting your head in the sand just isn’t going to cut it.” Permalink: Click here Comments Read comments from others and share your own thoughts. Please provide the answer to the following question:  =  your moms a hoebag Posted by Anonymous on October 18 at 1:40 PM

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