Iowa farmers and those involved in the agriculture industry are invited to participate in a series of free, online training webinars sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association. The seminars are helping farmers learn how to best use social media to engage in conversations with consumers about modern agriculture practices, represent corn grower interests and counter misinformation being spread by some regarding agriculture practices.
“Consumers are turning to social media to learn about modern agriculture,” says Jay Lynch, an Iowa Corn Growers Association director and a farmer from Humboldt. “Not all of the information about agriculture that is being presented by the media or online to the public today is correct. However, by using the social media we in the Iowa agriculture industry can counter this misinformation by telling the real story behind how we raise the food that consumers eat.”
The next webinar will take place February 17 at 10:30 a.m., where leaders of the discussion will walk listeners through setting up social media profiles on various sites, and how to begin building a following – social media essentials to help the ag industry speak with consumers.
For a full list of social media trainings, visit http://www.ncga.com/socialmedia.
See Agovcates in Action
Troy and Stacy Hadrick are perhaps the strongest example of what farmers using social media can do to influence change. The Hadricks are ranchers from South Dakota who turned a media nightmare into a grassroots campaign to tell America’s agricultural story.
Troy and Stacy will share their story with farmers in Iowa in the month of February, when the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) Young Farmers Committee present “Advocates for Agriculture: Lead Out Loud.” The presentations will take place Monday, Feb. 7, at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center in Cedar Rapids, Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the FFA Enrichment Center DMACC Campus in Ankeny and on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at the Siebens Forum Buena Vista University in Storm Lake.
All sessions are free and will begin at 6:00 with a meal, followed by the program. Register a week in advance by contacting your county Farm Bureau office or by contacting ISA’s Katie Holtz at kholtz@iasoybeans.com or 515-669-7660.