USFRA Presents Research at AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Chuck

At the AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance presented some research with consumers that was conducted by Maslansky, Luntz + Partners. On our program was Jenn Dahm (pictured left). Jenn says that “the finding that all of our research hinges on is the fact that America loves farmers and ranchers. All the effort we’re putting in to showing our families and our values and what we do in those terms, it’s good, and it helps and you know that battle is already won and the place where we really need to focus our energy if we’re going to be effective is talking about our methods.” This is the area where consumers have questions.

She says that fighting back is not working. Throwing facts at them is not working. Inviting consumers to the table is working better. “It’s not a war, it’s about starting a conversation.”

You can listen to my interview with Jenn here: Interview with Jenn Dahm

2011 AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference Photo Album

AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 coverage is sponsored by The New Holland Boomer 555 Contest.

Growing a Crop of Agvocates

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Chuck

All of the attendees at the AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference are going home with logo shirts thanks to the work of Drew Bender, agriculture education instructor in central Ohio. He’s one of the volunteers helping make the conference happen. Last year he was on the training committee and this year he’s continued his involvement putting on the second conference.

Drew says that after getting involved with the Tuesday evening AgChat Twitter conversations he got connected to more people and has really enjoyed meeting many of them. He thinks we’re making a difference and the growth in the conference is one indication of that.

You can listen to my interview with Drew here: Interview with Drew Bender

2011 AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference Photo Album

AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 coverage is sponsored by The New Holland Boomer 555 Contest.

Farmer Involvement in Agvocacy Training

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Chuck

Ryan Weeks is a 5th generation farmer from south-central Nebraska (pictured on left). He thinks that if farmers don’t use social media to tell their story someone will do it for them. He’s involved in the AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference. He got interested after starting on Twitter and attending last year’s conference. This year’s he’s serving on the training committee.

He thinks there are a lot of people having conversations online in agriculture but says we need to get outside our comfort zone to extend that conversation with more people who are not on the farm. Ryan says the conference here will talk about getting outside your community. He calls it “farming your online community.”

You can listen to my interview with Ryan here: Interview with Ryan Weeks

2011 AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference Photo Album

AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 coverage is sponsored by The New Holland Boomer 555 Contest.

Kicking off AgChat Agvocacy 2.0

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Chuck

The 2011 AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference is underway in Nashville, TN. We’ve got about twice as many attendees as the first conference last year.

Getting us started is AgChat Foundation President Jeff Fowle. He welcomed everyone and provided some thoughts on how important it is to engage people via social media. Engagement and interaction is vital to developing trust because as Jeff told us, “The public does not care what you know until they know that you care.”

You can listen to the first part of Jeff’s comments here: Jeff Fowle Opening Remarks

I’ve got a photo album started for the conference which you can find here: 2011 AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference Photo Album

AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 coverage is sponsored by The New Holland Boomer 555 Contest.

AgChat Foundation Board Discussion

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Chuck

In advance of tomorrow’s start to the AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 Conference, the AgChat Foundation board members are having a discussion. It has been a year and a half since this organization got started. We’ve got a lot to talk about and I’m looking forward to it.

The Agvocacy Conference is larger than last year and if we hadn’t had to cap it I’ll bet we could have even more people here. We’ve got some very interesting sessions and presenters here and I hope to be able to share some of what will be taking place.

I want to thank the New Holland Boomer 555 Contest for sponsoring my coverage of the conference and thank them for becoming a conference sponsor.

AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 coverage is sponsored by The New Holland Boomer 555 Contest.

iPhone vs. Android/Thunderbolt

Posted on August 20, 2011 by Chuck

iPhone or Android? That is the question. It’s pretty easy to answer in my opinion. I’ve had an AT&T iPhone since they came out and earlier this year I got a Verizon HTC Thunderbolt (4G). The iPhone wins this comparison hands down. Even the AT&T network seems improved, which was a major complaint I used to have for it. Here’s a photo of each phone displaying the AgWired App (iPhone on right). Maybe when the Motorola Droid Bionic comes out I will change my mind.

So why do I think the iPhone is better? I think it’s much more user friendly. The camera is better. The size if perfect for my hand. The battery lasts much, much longer. There are more and better apps than you will find for Android. But one of the best things I’ve found is that when I tether my computer or iPad to it the connection seems to be rock solid and it’s not on my Thunderbolt. Maybe that’s a problem still with the Thunderbolt but I can’t use it tethered to my computer for more than about 15 minutes before it no longer provides an internet connection. Even when it is providing one it seems to blip in and out. For example, when I’m uploading photos using Flickr tethered to the Thunderbolt I will often get an error in mid upload. That never happens on the iPhone. I love the speed of 4G on the Thunderbolt when I can find it. However, I’ve had several instances of having a good 4G signal and all of the sudden it disappears and I’ve only got 3G. At that point I might as well be using my iPhone.

Apps seem to crash more on the Android. I use the Weather Channel app a lot. On the Android it will not show me maps. It just crashes with an error report. I’ve uninstalled it and started over with the same problem.

The Thunderbolt eats battery. Even if I don’t use it for a day it will be out of battery and that’s with all services like bluetooth, wifi, etc, turned off. It has to be charged constantly. And you can’t use it tethered with 4G unless it’s plugged in. I can sometimes go two days without charging the iPhone depending on use and I’d call myself a power user.

I like to text on my iPhone with one hand. The Thunderbolt is just too big for that. I’m sure there are other Android phones out there that would be slimmer. I just doubt they’d perform any better than the Thunderbolt when it comes to user friendliness. I like being able to put my apps into folder and not have a lot of screen space to scroll through to find what I want.

I thought this would be a good pre-AgChat Agvocacy 2.0 post since I’ll be on a panel talking about using mobile technology to enhance productivity. When it comes to using apps on these phones the ones I use most are for email, Twitter, weather, camera, music, texting, contacts, calendar and oh yeah, the phone. I also do quite a few of my on location interviews with the iPhone too. I’ve also started doing most of my video clips with the iPhone. Then I can just upload them straight to YouTube when I’ve got a good wifi connection. As a road warrior the iPhone seems to help make me more productive than the Thunderbolt. I hope this helps. Let me know if you’ve got questions.

MPK Teaches Peanut Industry Some New Moves

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Cindy

I had the opportunity to see the lovely and talented advocate for agriculture Michele Payn-Knoper in action last week at the 2011 Southern Peanut Growers Conference where she was the keynote luncheon speaker.

“We have to engage with the 98 and a half percent of the population who are not farmers,” she said, encouraging the peanut growers to use the social media tools available like Facebook and Twitter and YouTube. “Just use your smart phone and shoot a little video the next time you’re out in the field and throw it up on YouTube,” she told them.

To illustrate how the agriculture industry needs to fight for itself, Michele brought some peanut industry representatives up on the stage and taught them some kickboxing moves. It was pretty darn funny and, yep – now it’s on YouTube!

Agvocacy 2.0 Conference Registration Deadline Nearing

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Chuck

Don’t forget to register by June 24 for the AgChat Foundation Agvocacy 2.0 Conference which will be held August 22-23 in Nashville, TN. If you are passionate about agriculture and want to learn more about how you can use social media to “tell your story” then this conference is for you. The conference is open to 75 people (production ag, hobby farming, agribusiness, Extension, commodity organizations, academia or another sector of the industry). You have a chance to win a full or partial scholarship or other prize if you enter your ag photo in the AgChat Foundation 2012 Calendar contest by posting to the AgChat Foundation Facebook page.

Are you alumni of the first Agvocacy 2.0 Training? You can apply too! We will be accepting up to 25 returning attendees who provide names of first-time applicants they “endorse”. We think this is a great way to get a mixture of “pros” and “newbies” together to learn from each other, while also identifying those who are just starting out in their social media ventures.

This year’s conference will include an extra half-day of training, beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday and concluding at noon on Tuesday. Registration is $365 and will include a free t-shirt. You can apply to attend the conference at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/agvocacy-2dot0-conference. The application process will run from June 1 to June 24 and those selected will be notified in mid-July. Those chosen to attend are encouraged to seek sponsorships from local businesses and organizations to help cover conference and travel costs.

More details about the Agvocacy 2.0 Conference will be posted here, as well as on Facebook and Twitter, over the coming months and make sure to check follow the hashtag #ACFC11 on Twitter for the most up-to-date information!

AgChat Foundation Agvocacy 2.0 Conference Planned

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Cindy

The dates and place for the second AgChat Foundation Agvocacy 2.0 Conference are set.

This year’s conference will be held August 22 and 23 in Nashville, Tennessee. We are excited to expand the conference by opening it up to 75 people who are passionate about agriculture and interested in learning how social media can be used to tell their stories. Whether you’re involved in production ag, hobby farming, agribusiness, Extension, commodity organizations, academia or another sector of the industry, we would love to have you join us for the Agvocacy 2.0 Conference!

Similar to last year, conference sessions will include both large and small group formats and cover social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs and YouTube. This year, the planning committee is also planning more one-on-one chat sessions and networking in order to help you personalize your learning in a way that is most effective for your agvocacy strategy and situation. By building on the feedback and suggestions from the initial conference last August in Chicago, the AgChat Foundation is working hard to make this event even better than the last in order to keep empowering America’s farmers and ranchers to utilize social media as a way to share their agriculture stories.

Registration is $365 and includes a free t-shirt. You can apply to attend the conference between June 1 to June 24 and those selected will be notified in mid-July. Those chosen to attend are encouraged to seek sponsorships from local businesses and organizations to help cover conference and travel costs.

Find out more here.

AgChat Discusses EPA Over Regulation of Farming

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Chuck

Over regulation by the EPA was the topic of last night’s AgChat which I had the pleasure to moderate once again. It was an interesting conversation as always and we had some very different points of view expressed. And that’s what it’s all about. How often do you participate in a conversation where everyone agrees? Nothing wrong with that.

Here’s the list of questions that were posed. You can see the list of responses to each on the AgChat Archives page already.

Q1: What’s the single most disruptive regulation the EPA has imposed on U.S. Farmers and why? via @derekbalsley
Q2: What are the most helpful EPA regs to your operations? via @TruffleMedia
Q3: How can farmers communicate the real-life struggles w/EPA regulations to politicians & consumers? via @amyserves
Q4: How can any farmer make sure they are in full compliance with EPA regs? via @AgriBlogger
Q5: Does there need to be a better system of checks & balances for EPA & their regulations? via multiple sources
Q6: Is this really a problem with EPA or the administration? via @BeltwayBeef
Q7: How could the EPA expect to harness dust the way they’re talking in the Clean Air Act? via @DarrenOlafson
Q8: What are resources available to farmers who are having trouble with EPA regs?
Q9: What if there were no EPA and damage caused to environment was settled in court as property damage? via @derekbalsley
Q10: What will you do after participating in tonight’s convo as it relates to EPA regulations and farming?
Q11: What’s your executable idea?

There were a lot of interesting ideas and answers that came out during the course of our conversation. Some things that stood out for me include:

1. An idea that the topic was not “objective.” Really? Of course that was posed by someone who does not farm and works for an environmental extremist organization. I have never met a farmer of any size or kind who believes EPA regulations are not burdensome and often incomprehensible.

2. There was a suggestion that if you farm “organic” you will somehow not have to deal with EPA (just USDA). However, if you look at the EPA website you’ll find a whole page of information and links dealing with organic. Doesn’t look like being organic exempts you from this problem.

3. Q2 got the most responses of all. The whole idea of finding anything helpful regarding EPA regulations seemed like a foreign concept to most of our active participants. I don’t know about all you lurkers out there.

4. Someone made a point that seemed to get good agreement that it’s not just EPA that’s a problem, but Congress which created the agency and gives it the powers that it has. Of course there is also the issue of how EPA administrators interpret their role and rules as well as judges who make decisions in their courts that impact how regulations are enforced.

There’s a lot more but I won’t take time to point them all out here. Check out the archives and see for yourself and join in next time! Thanks to all who participated.

Cow Art And Social Media

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Chuck

ZimmCast 300 Cow artist and veterinarian, Kathy Swift, is also a board member of the AgChat Foundation. We got to visit while I was in Gainesville, FL doing a little John Deere work. Our conversation is ZimmCast number 300! I guess that’s a milestone of sorts. You figure out how many years that is.

With the AgChat Foundation recently turning one year old, our visit was very timely. We talked about becoming agvocates and Kathy shares some of her experiences for people who want to become AgNerds. You can learn more about what Kathy does on the Cow Art And More Blog. And follow her on Twitter.

Thank you to the Panera lady who took our photo!

Listen to Kathy talk about her experiences with social media in this week’s program: Getting Social With Cow Art

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, Growmark, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page

Seed to Succeed Grant Awarded

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Melissa

Harvest PR & Marketing, Inc. has once again awarded its Seed to Succeed nonprofit PR grant, valued at $20,000, to the AgChat Foundation, an organization dedicated to empowering farmers and ranchers to effectively tell their story using social media.

AgChat Foundation, which celebrated its one-year anniversary April 5, debuted the “Agvocacy 2.0 Training” in Chicago last August for a select group of 50 farmers and ranchers, and earned a coveted spot on the SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas, last month.

Currently, Harvest PR is leading a consumer-targeted media relations program spotlighting success stories of the farmers and ranchers who’ve established or enhanced their social media presence, and have successfully connected with consumers as a result of AgChat Foundation training and support. Harvest PR also recently spearheaded the nonprofit’s “Class of 2.0 Reunion,” in which Agvocacy 2.0 Training graduates reunited on Facebook and Twitter and recommitted to their social media goals.

Harvest PR created the Seed to Succeed PR Grant in 2009 to annually support one worthy not-for-profit cause or organization that serves to better agriculture. Applications for the 2012 PR Grant, valued at $25,000, are due Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. Details at www.harvest-pr.com.

Farmers Speaking Out On Social Media

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Chuck

You should know by now that the AgChat Foundation has turned one year old this week and the weekly AgChat Twitter conversation is two years old. I’ll bet even Michele Payn-Knoper (founder) would not have predicted that! So the baby is growing up and there’s lots of interesting things going on as this farmer led organization continues to plough new ground in agricultural communications.

I spoke today with Jeff Fowle, President, AgChat Foundation and California farmer (that’s him under the hat probably tweeting away) to get an update on where we’re at and where we’re going. I also serve on the board of the Foundation and we had a very well attended and exciting board meeting by conference call last night.

Americans may have noticed a new social media trend this past year: more Facebook posts from the farm, more tweets from the tractor and more blogs from the back forty.

The timing of this social media “stampede” couldn’t be better, says Jeff Fowle, president of the AgChat Foundation. Celebrating its one-year anniversary this week, the AgChat Foundation is a 100-percent volunteer organization formed to empower farmers and ranchers to effectively tell their stories using social media. He says in one 2010 study conducted by the Hartman Group, 59 percent of consumers purchasing local said they wanted a “connection to the farmer.”

Bring yourself up to date on what’s going on with the AgChat Foundation by listening to this week’s program: ZimmCast 298 - AgChat Foundation Turns One

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsor, Growmark, locally owned, globally strong, for their support.

The program ends this week with a song from Music Alley called “Chatshow Queen” by Stuart Willmott.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our Subscribe page

AgChat Foundation Gear

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Chuck

Here’s a cool way to show your support for the AgChat Foundation. Get some gear on.

Show your support for the Agchat Foundation by purchasing branded merchandise! All the profits from the sale of these items go to support the Agchat Foundation’s mission to empower farmers and ranchers to connect communities through social media platforms.

In the store you’ll find shirts, bags, mugs and more.

AgChat Foundation Celebrates First Anniversary

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Chuck

It’s hard to believe but true. The AgChat Foundation is one year old today. And that means we’ve been AgChatting for two years! I remember when I’d ask someone if they had heard of or participated in AgChat. Most didn’t and I had to explain a “Twitter Conversation.” Now it’s getting harder to find someone who doesn’t know what it is. So read the release and learn how farmers are mastering the art of social media.

Americans may have noticed a new social media trend this past year: more Facebook posts from the farm, more tweets from the tractor and more blogs from the back forty.

The timing of this social media “stampede” couldn’t be better, says Jeff Fowle, president of the AgChat Foundation. Celebrating its one-year anniversary today, the AgChat Foundation is a 100-percent volunteer organization formed to empower farmers and ranchers to effectively tell their stories using social media. He says in one 2010 study1 conducted by the Hartman Group, 59 percent of consumers purchasing local said they wanted a “connection to the farmer.”

In just 12 months, AgChat Foundation has successfully inspired farmers to add tweets and posts to their daily chores. It even earned a coveted spot on the 2011 SXSW® Interactive Festival program, last month, presenting alongside the country’s brightest in emerging technology.

Yet, its greatest achievements, Fowle says, are the hundreds of farmers it has inspired to “agvocate” for agriculture, and the thousands of consumer conversations it has spurred.

“Increasingly, urbanites are tuning in to the rural lifestyle and talking directly to the folks raising their food,” says the fourth-generation rancher with more than 33,000 Twitter followers, and author of Common Sense Agriculture’s Blog. “Our job is to step up farmers’ social media skills and help them find their authentic voice.”

It’s up to the farmers what stories or information they share: “Some opt for human-interest farm life stories, while others have tackled tough topics, such as animal welfare. We’re working with farmers young and old, representing organic and conventional farms of all sizes. It’s a diverse bunch with ranging levels of skills and stories. What they all have in common is a desire to connect with their urban counterparts.”

Read the full release and find “Five Ways to Follow a Farmer.” (Word Doc)

The AgChat Foundation invites consumers to learn more about agriculture and food production by joining the live #AgChat Twitter conversation each Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST.

Farm Bureau Members Engage in Social Media

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Cindy

A popular session at the American Farm Bureau annual meeting yesterday was “Grassroots Engagement with Social Media,” featuring some of the trailblazers in the SM world for agriculture.

Florida Farm Bureau president John Hoblick introduced the session, which was moderated by AFBF’s Mace Thornton (@AFBFMace on Twitter). “I think of social media as being the equivalent of the green revolution of agricultural communications,” said Mace. “It really has been a game-changer.” When Mace asked how many at the session were on Facebook, about three quarters of the several hundred people in the room raised their hands.

On the panel were Dan Toland (@d_toland) with Ohio Farm Bureau, California rancher Jeff Fowle (@jefffowle) who serves as president of the AgChat Foundation, and Minnesota farmer Emily Zweber (@zweberfarms).

Dan started off the conversation with statistics from the latest PEW internet survey. “65 percent of those under 30 years of age have the internet as their number one source for news and information, that’s 52 percent of the world’s population,” he said. Almost half of those aged 30-59 use the internet for their number information source. Dan stressed the need to have conversations rather than lecture the general public about agriculture, and he noted that using the term “non-farmer” is better than the word consumer, since we’re all consumers.

Jeff got specific about different social media vehicles, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs. “Facebook is social media on training wheels – it’s a good place to get started,” Jeff said. He encouraged people to get involved with the AgChat Foundation “to help you take those training wheels off.” He says Twitter is the next step after Facebook, but he warned people to make sure they think before they tweet. “Read what you tweet twice before you send,” he advised.

I had to leave the session early to get to the Mike Rowe press conference, so I wasn’t able to record Emily, but you can hear Dan and most of Jeff’s comments here: AFBF Social Media session

2011 AFBF Annual Meeting Photo Album

Developing A Crop of Agvocates

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Chuck

AG CONNECT Expo The AgChat Foundation held an agvocate training session this afternoon. We’re building an army of agricultural advocates one crop at a time! I had the honor and pleasure to be a presenter and finally meet some of my fellow board members in person.

Here are (l-r), Ray Prock, Jeff Fowle and Nate Taylor. They each took turns talking about Twitter and then answered questions. Our session today covered the importance of social media, technology/tools, Twitter and Facebook after which participants broke up into groups. I hope we’ll see more of these at various events throughout the country during the year. I’m working on one to take place at the Western Farm Show in Kansas City, MO next month. More on that later.

Photos have been updated in our AG CONNECT Expo photo album and Cindy and I have a lot more stories to come as the show rolls on and we transition over to the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting which gets into full swing tomorrow morning with the opening general session.

2011 AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

Register For Agvocate Training In Atlanta

Posted on January 2, 2011 by Chuck

Here’s an update on the agvocate social media training session that will take place this Saturday, from 3-6pm in Atlanta in conjunction with AG CONNECT Expo. I’m currently early on the program with a session on “Tools & Technology for the Trade.” Other sessions include: 3 on using Twitter, 3 on using Facebook, Effective Blogging and small group training. If you haven’t registered to attend then please do so now.

This agvocate training session is being conducted by the AgChat Foundation. If you’ve got questions please feel free to send an email to info@agchat.org.

See you there.