The 2015 NAMA Bootcamp was again held in Kansas City, MO. The event attracts those new to the world of agri-marketing or simply new to the agriculture community. Sustainability and the consumer was one breakout session which discussed how farmers and ranchers can communicate with food connectors and millennials about sustainability.

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) CEO, Randy Krotz, was charged with this task and I spoke with him about what exactly sustainable means and what we can do to convey that to consumers. USFRA is in the middle of some significant research to find a way for consumers to connect with producers in the language we use in agriculture.

“Farmers love to talk about how they farm. We have multi-generation farms and we automatically think, of course, they are sustainable. How can they not be? But that message doesn’t connect with consumers. We need to find the language that does.”

Initially they are finding water is at the forefront of consumer minds and long-term health risks and benefits. “They have picked that up with rhetoric around concerns with GMO’s or the use of antibiotics. We have to address that when we go and talk about agriculture being sustainable. We need to talk about why we are. We need to talk about the environment. We have to address water, air, soil and health. We know those things connect.”

Randy’s best advice to ag marketers is to truly look at your audience. Know who you are marketing to. “We thought for so long that safe, abundant and affordable when talking about our food supply was what we should be talking about. Come to find out, when we use those terms consumers don’t hear that at all.”

In my complete interview with Randy, learn more about millennials and millennial parents. Interview with Randy Krotz, USFRA

Find photos from the event here: 2015 NAMA Bootcamp Photos