U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) stakeholders and the farm broadcast media got a sneak preview of the new SMART Farm platform for agriculture to talk to people who eat food in 2017.

“SMART Farm is going to be woven into all of our programs,” said USFRA Director of Consumer Communications Emily Dameron, who explained that they found the “smart” concept resonates with consumers, especially millennials. “As soon as we said the words ‘smart farm’ they immediately understood what that means.”

Dameron says they are planning to roll out the SMART Farm campaign to both farmers and ranchers and consumers starting with events in January.

The SMART Farm concept was developed by the USFRA Communications Committee, which includes “some of the best and brightest communicators in the industry,” according to Dameron. Members of the committee jointly presented the 2017 plan for the USFRA during the group’s sixth annual meeting since being formally announced in 2010.

“One thing that is really exciting about SMART Farm is that it will open up a lot of new story lines for us,” said Dameron, who says it will be an integral part of the message for the new Faces of Farming and Ranching class announced last week.

USFRA also elected a new chairperson last week – South Dakota pig farmer Brad Greenway – and a new executive committee, including:

Vice Chairman: Chip Bowling, representing National Corn Growers Association
Treasurer: Scott VanderWal, representing American Farm Bureau Federation
Secretary: Roberta Simpson-Dolbeare, representing Illinois Soybean Association
Immediate Past Chairwoman: Nancy Kavazanjian, representing United Soybean Board
At-Large: Monty Henderson, representing U.S. Poultry and Egg Association
At-Large Partner: Mike Parrish, representing Monsanto

Learn more in this interview: Interview with Emily Dameron, USFRA