The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance® (USFRA) Board of Directors gathered in St. Louis recently for its bi-annual board meeting.

At the meeting, the 2017 Consumer Perception research was presented and Cameron Gibson was elected as a board member to represent the United Soybean Board. The board also proposed the FY19 USFRA strategy to bring agriculture’s voice back into pop culture and entertainment.

Gibson is a Virginia crop farmer who looks forward to being part of USFRA to help “enlighten food influencers and end users about the value, sustainability, and usefulness not only of our U.S. soybean crop, but also for other farming and ranching practices.”

According to the USFRA’s 2017 Consumer Perception Research, 34 percent of Americans strongly trust farmers and ranchers, a significant increase from 24 percent in 2015. Additionally, nearly half of consumers say that U.S. farmers and ranchers are heading the right direction with how food is grown and raised.

USFRA also highlighted its new app, engAGe, which aims to activate farmer and rancher voices on digital and social media platforms. To continue to build consumer trust in American farmers and ranchers, it’s crucial that all agriculturalists practice transparency on their farms and ranches and share their story online. engAGe’s ability to provide resources and simplify social media, while scouting a field, walking the barn, or even sitting behind a desk, has resonated with the agriculture community, as the app has garnered nearly 500 users.