For those of you in the agriculture business, you probably have spent countless hours wondering what farmers are thinking and how best to reach them. Well, there is no need to wonder any longer, now you can just know. How? Through Successful Farming’s Farmer Insight research.

Here is a quick fact: did you know that farmers under the age of 40 are more likely to be online than the general population? Knowing this should affect how you advertise to this generation of farmers.

I spoke with Curt Blades, the Director of Sales and Marketing for Successful Farming (SF) to learn more about their Farmer Insight research and I also learned, that through their parent company, Meredith Corporation, they also have consumer insight research. He explained that every decision from editorial content to revamping a media outlet to counseling advertising partners, is driven by the knowledge they hold of what farmers think and what makes them tick.

Well, here is a bit of information that made me think: 26 percent of consumers consuming food in the U.S. are very concerned about the safety and quality of their food. Blades explained, “As a farm kid, that concerns me…farmers take pride in providing American consumers with the cleanest, safest, cheapest food supply in the world.”

Blades said that while farmers have known this food safety trend has been increasing in recent years, this research validates this concern. It looks like the ag industry has some work on their hands, but Blades, through SF’s Farmer Insight research can help guide us on the best messaging and tools to lessen this consumer concern.

While Blades said that research was a very important tool for them, it is also a very important tool for their partners. Not only is their research available to their advertising partners, but their advertising partners can also commission proprietary research.

You can learn more about SF’s Farmer Insight research by listening to my interview with Curt here.