Pulsing the Positives:Telling your Farming Story

Through Social Media

Erin Brenneman

Born and Raised in LaGrange Park, ILPopulation: 13,659

A Suburb of Chicago

Where did the animals come in?

Growing up “farm kid”-a dream realized

Attended Iowa State University2000-2004

• Tim would come home on the weekends to “work”

• I came to the farm to check out why and my eyes were opened to an alien world of “agriculture”

• I was amazed by how the farm works and all that they do to raise food

• And he was intrigued by the city

The Beginning…

This city girl married her Pig farmer

way before The Bachelor made it

cool!

From City Lights to Starry Nights

What the City Folk Thought…

• You’re going to be lonely!

• You will be out of touch with the modern world. (lucky if you have a landline)

• You do nothing in the wintertime.

• All corn is sweet corn.

• Why do people wave when they don’t even know you?

• Big Farms = Bad Corporate Farms, right??

What the Country Folk Thought

• I’m from Chicago area, I’m in a gang.

• I have massive road rage.

• I can’t get my hands dirty.

• “Should be” Fashionable. (I’m the only one that wears sweat pants CONSTANTLY)

• I’m less caring, my values are different.

• I should be a stuck up snob.

• I have no social ability (Just keep walking, we don’t wave when we drive).

My Neighborhood has Changed…

I bounced around immersing myself in everything there was to

do on the farm!

I Found the farrowing house And have been in there ever

since!

I moved to a Farm…

…I Found a Family

In the course of 10 years I have gotten married, had 2 kids (boys), learned an entire new way of life-pig farming, become a day-one farrowing specialist, learned data entry for sow farm, learned to run the tractor, grain cart, ripper, cultivator, combine…pretty much anything when someone else needed to go fix something else…

It Has Been a Lot to Take in!!

And now I’m beginning to share our

farms amazing story.

Where did the disconnect come from?

• Farmers have been doing amazing things, growing in awesome ways• Efficient • Hard Working• Determined • “Agvocating” was not one until

only recently

“Midwest Palm Tree Effect”

People have an idea of what they think most farm families look like and how they

are involved

?

What they might picture

our modern family farm

looks likeWhat our modern

family farm looks like

They are most likely surprised of what our farms are like today, and

choose from thereCreates Confusion-why do we use certain practices?Unknown Methods

•People don’t think “technology” when they think “farm”Scary

•Fear of the unknown and the disconnect itself •Especially when in involves something you use everyday-Food

Mind made up•Fast + Big = Bad•“Sherlock” theory“Ah, Moriarty is smart. He planted that

doubt in her head; that little nagging sensation. You’re going to have to be strong to resist. But you can’t kill an idea, can you? Not once it’s made a

home... there (in your head).”

Farmers need to beplanting the ideas!

Not watching the weeds grow

Consumers were having conversations about us, without us.

It’s time to catch up and join in!!

Using Social Media to Connect

• It has come a long way in a very short time and will continue to speed up!

• My Space, AOL instant messenger-those were the coolest when I graduated college!

• Then came along the big dogs:

What Connects?• I’ve discovered that it is the little things that we as farmers don’t

think much about everyday that are the most fascinating to people who don’t know (mainly what I found interesting resonated)

• People don’t think beyond the final product and all of the important inputs and different people that it takes to raise pigs

• These are the things we need to share!

Just Be Yourself!• People want to know that we are people, with

families, here everyday, caring for our farm/animals just like everyone else

• Focus on what your passion is, and be transparent with it!

• What we do is amazing, embrace it

If you get lost, Remember…• Who you are trying to reach?

• What are their concerns?

• I don’t have time to sit on twitter all day-I have a farm to take care of, and that’s okay!

• Answer honest, curious questions

• Always offer a personal interaction

Believe in what you do.

• Once I became comfortable with who I was and what we represented started to branch out and share the little things that I enjoy

• Use my personal page to steer people in that direction (I still have city friends)

“Pulsing the Positives”

Stuff Worth Sharing: Family Farm & Farming Family

Kids

Family

FarmTours

Non-Animal Related Content is Important

Returns us back to the “human” realm

Facebook Provides Great Insights

Like, Comment, and Share

Like, Comment, and Share

Time Matters

• Just recently became involved with Twitter

• @sowmomma

• 140 characters of craziness

• No room for fluff, even less room if you use a picture

• Get your points/views across fast

#HashtagMania!

• Utilize different # to reach different audiences with similar interests

• Keep hashtags relevant

• Can get too long-but

effective if used in

the right way

#thepigsdidntlikemetryingtoteachthemyoga

We are not about pitting one style

of farming against another, it really

does take all kinds.

We like to show how a larger farm like us is still intensely family

involved. I love waking up and

working with pigs every single day!

“Faces of Farming and Ranching”

An opportunity to reach a broader audience and show my

love for farming!

I understand the fears firsthand and I simply want to help people find some answers to their

concerns.

I could have been a “skeptic” had I not moved to the farm.

Thomas Titus-Pig Farmer, IL

Carla Wardin-Dairy Farmer, MI

Jay Hill-Nut and

Vegetable Farmer,

NM

Darrel Glasser-

Turkey Farmer, TX

Questions you need to feel out for effective content:

• What are their concerns?

• What are their questions?

• Address and explain these before they are potentially wrongly presented as something “bad” by someone else

• Stay ahead of the concerns

• Show your human side

• Show reality, show ups and

downs

Everyone Needs to Join the Conversation

• Time to open up “Gloves are Off”

• Transparency: We have nothing to hide

• If you want to hide something- then you should take a second look at that practice at your farm

• Walk through your day once with

“prying eyes”

• Every step you take may present a great opportunity to share something interesting!

• Will not win trust with just 10 strong voices-it is going to have to take a lot more

• If you have a passion and believe in what you do it is easy to share

• People are listening-don’t worry!

• Open up and express your passion!

Why I Share• I go out every day and get to do

something I love and I am passionate about with people that I love

• As a reward, my family farm helps to feed 2 million people each year-

I am proud of that

• My children will get to grow up “farm”

What do I share?

We are constantly connecting with

consumers about our farm everyday!

Brenneman Pork Inc.

“Pictorial of a Family Pork Farm”

@sowmomma

Thank You!