Escaping The Tower

Talking Agriculture

escapingthetower — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 03:21:07 +0000

There is nothing better than getting to talk about agriculture with random strangers. It never ceases to amaze me how connected we are within agriculture. It’s a bond thy can only be seen from the inside.

Today at work I was waiting on a table when I noticed this man was wearing a hat with a seed company on it. I got pretty excited because I assumed he had to be a farmer so I asked, and it turned out that he was. I instantly told him I was an ag major at Missouri Sate and we began talking about different Ag companies and my plans for the future. He told me that his daughter was an Ag business major who had formally worked with Monsanto. Hearing his story of his daughters success made me even more excited to graduate an enter into the field of agriculture! I love my major and I cannot wait to begin classes again in the fall.

Social Media Campaign

escapingthetower — Wed, 08 May 2013 03:50:48 +0000

This past month for my public relations in agriculture I’ve been working on a social media campaign project for SOMO Farm and Ranch. Initially coming into this project I was a little worried as to how it would all work out. However, I knew it was right up my alley because I love social media and agriculture. I started out the project by going to to SOMO Farm and Ranch to interview someone from the company to figure out the company’s goals and key audience. Once I began to actually get into the project and started to develop my timeline I started to love it. It’s things that this that I want to do once I graduate! Within the project I am developing a hypothetical 6 month plan to integrate social media into the businesses marketing strategy. While doing this project I have come across some really cool sites dealing with social media for business purposes and just social media in general so I figured I’d take some time to share them!

Helpful/Interesting Sites

21 Social Media Marketing Tips from the Pros- http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/21-social-media-marketing-tips-from-the-pros/
Twitter a Social Web Tool for Public Relations- http://www.slideshare.net/bhofer/twitter-a-social-web-tool-for-public-relations
TweetStats.com- This is a site that gives you a run down of how you are interacting on Twitter. It tells you when you tweet most, who you retweet the most, ect.
Tweet.Grader.com- This is a cool website because it actually gives you a grade for your Twitter account

Chuck Zimmerman -AgWired

escapingthetower — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 02:01:29 +0000

Wednesday in my Public Relations in Agriculture class, we got the opportunity to talk with Chuck Zimmerman, the founder of ag wired, via skype. Zimmerman started his career by doing farm radio for Brownfield Ag News. After leaving Brownfield he started doing social media. He started a blog called AgWired to talk about agriculture. Zimmerman was one of the first to start an agriculture related blog. Though it started out as companies websites, it soon became a source to the public for ag related news. Communication in agriculture is constantly changing, Zimmerman started in radio where he would only be able to do 3 minute interviews, but is now able to produce more audio than ever. He can put full length interviews online for everyone to listen to. By posting news and things on the AgWired website it allows other agriculture people to use what they’ve posted. At the start of Ag Wired no companies wouldn’t pay attention to him, but they soon realized his business was taking off. Zimmerman now manages 4 websites that generate income. Zimmerman adapted to the changing times by continuing to keep up with the times. Agriculture communications is a constantly changing business and I believe that it will continue to change in the future. I believe that more and more farmers will turn to social media and blogging to tell their stories. I believe that more and more farming apps will be created and farming will eventually become a very technologically advanced practice.

Check out the AgWired website! http://www.agwired.com

Misconceptions of Agriculture Part 2:

escapingthetower — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 02:01:45 +0000

Last week I started a series of Misconceptions of Agriculture, this is the second part of the topic.

4. MYTH: There is no future in Agriculture

-FACT: According to Fox News, more than 146,00 students in college are pursing a degree in agriculture, this is a 21% increase in enrollment since 2006. Food and Agriculture sectors produce more than 54,000 jobs a year for students with degrees in food renewable energy, and environmental specialties. Agriculture is a growing industry with much hope for the future considering we continue to need more and more food to feed the world. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs in the agriculture sector are expected to increase by 10% from 2010 to 2020.

5. MYTH: Farm animals in “confinement” are prone to diseases, forcing farmers to routinely use antibiotics, hormones and drugs to keep them alive. This jeopardizes animal and human health.

-FACT: Animal scientists, veterinarians and on-farm experience show animals kept in housing are generally healthier because they are protected. Farm animals do sometimes get sick. To prevent illness and to ensure that an animal remains healthy all of its life, farmers will take preventive measures, like using animal health products. These products are generally included in a scientifically-formulated feed that matches the animal’s needs. This is the simplest way to ensure each animal gets the care it needs. Animal health products include animal drugs and vaccines, in addition to vitamins, minerals and other nutrients the animal needs in its diet. All animal health products are approved and regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). (Myth and Fact taken from realfarmersrealfood.com)

6. MYTH: Organic food production doesn’t use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers

-FACT: Organic production can use “natural” pesticides such as mineral salts, and pesticides from plants. In fact the largest quantity of chemical pesticides are being applied to organic crops as approved “natural pesticides” (American Farm Bureau Foundation)

Check out Matt Lohr from Virgina’s Farm Bureau top 10 list as well! http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/news/releases-b/031413agwk.shtml

Misconceptions of Agriculture Part 1:

escapingthetower — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:30:45 +0000

Misconceptions:

Part 1

1. MYTH: Farming is mostly controlled by large organizations

–FACT: According to FarmKind.org and USDA NASS “Of the 2.2 million farms in the U.S., 87% are owned by an individual or a married couple responsible for operating the farm. 97% of U.S. farms are family-owned and operated, according to the USDA. The USDA reported only 7,000 non-family controlled corporate farms in the U.S.”

2. MYTH: Farm animals that are raised in “factory farms” are abused and confined.

–FACT: According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary’s website, factory farming is defined as “a large industrialized farm; especially : a farm on which large numbers of livestock are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost” The problem is that people misuse this word all the time giving the term a negative feeling. This definition is so broad. Isn’t the goal of all farms to maximize production at minimal cost? A farmer could have a 100 head of cattle and someone could say that is “large” but to others it may just be a normal size

3. MYTH: By eating less meat, Americans would improve the environment and free land and resources for the production of food crops rather than animal products, which could be used to feed the hungry overseas.(Misconception and Fact provided by Animal Agriculture Alliance)

-FACT: Americans need both animals and plants to manage the nation’s natural resources in the best way possible and feed its people. For example, about half the land area of the U.S. can’t be used for growing crops, it can only be used for grazing. That land would be useless as a food resource.

Video gone Viral

escapingthetower — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:23:45 +0000

I was recently scrolling through my facebook timeline when I came across a video that had been shared by one of my facebook friends. Her comment above the video was, “Oh my gosh… I’m going vegan.” I chose to watch the video and it was honestly appalling. I was outraged that this kind of thing is going viral. It has 6,872 likes on facebook and over 96,000 shares. These are the people we’re letting tell our story? I went on to investigate more into this video which from the comments is a lot more than most viewers did. When I googled this video I was directed to a website entitled meat.org a website ran by “peta2” I dug a little deeper and found the mission statement of this group. Their mission statement: “We believe that it’s wrong to hurt animals. They aren’t dinner or clothing or anything else for us to use—they’re individuals who can feel pain and suffer, just like us. YOU hold the power to make a huge difference for them, and we’re here to help you every step of the way. Free for all!” These are the people we’re letting the world believe. This group is targeting the youth of our country, they claim in their “about me” to be “the largest youth animal rights group in the world.” The more posts I read from them the more frustrating it got. Because of this video I’ve decided to dedicate the next couple of blog posts I do to the misconceptions of agriculture.

Animal Lover

escapingthetower — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:36:41 +0000

Today I got the chance to venture to the outskirts of Springfield and bottle feed a calf for the first time. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect since I’d never done it before. When I arrived we filled up each bottle with a mixture of formula and water. I went to the barn and got my first glimpse at the cute babies They were adorable! Bottle feeding is exactly what it sounds like, I just held the bottle while the calf drank. As I was watching the babies drink from the bottle, I couldn’t help but think of the extent of care that farmers and ranchers give their animals. The fact that these farmers and ranchers take the time to give bottles to these calves every morning and night is simply amazing! I’ll never understand how groups such as the HSUS and PETA insist that agriculturalists don’t take good care of our animals.

My best friend growing up raised cows and horses, so I’ve been around livestock all my life. I watched her dad pour his life into taking care of their animals and he did an amazing job of it. As for the horses, you will never find someone more in love with her horses. We were constantly brushing and feeding them making sure they were happy and well taken care of. We once stayed up an entire night with a horse just to be able to be there when the horse gave birth. Seeing that little animal take her first wobbly steps is a sight I will never forget. It’s these memories that I will never forget that have made me want to stand up for agriculture. I can’t stand to see people making false accusations about animal agriculture, when they know nothing about it.

Thank A Farmer

escapingthetower — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 03:36:20 +0000

I was introduced to this song, sung by James Wesley, by one of my friends, but I just recently heard it on the radio. I love this song because its able to advocate in a different way. It appeals to those who love a good country song but has that secret message to appreciate the farmers in this world. The fact that country stars are supporting the farmer is a huge deal! It is things like this that will reach out and grab peoples attention who maybe haven’t thought about how much farmers contribute to the world they live in. The year of the farmer is here and the more people on board the more people we can reach. If we can band together as one people working to get acknowledgement to the farmer then it can actually happen. First the dodge commercial and now this, mainstream media is picking up on the year of the farmer it is time everyone does. Everyone has a group of people they can reach. So I challenge you all to go and find those people that you can agvocate to and spread the news! Share the stories of farmers to all your friends, and one by one we can get the farmers the appreciation they deserve and we together can show people how important American agriculture is!

Be sure to subscribe to my blog to receive updates when I post!

@Farmnwife

escapingthetower — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 03:35:39 +0000

Recently my PR in Agriculture class got to hear from Judi Graff who blogs under the alias @farmnwife. She discussed how to develop a website/blog for a business. From her presentation I was able to take away 3 main things.

Top 3

When developing a website for a company, a blog should always be a part of it too because the blog is what will draw people to the website via search engines.– This is going to be extremely helpful when I’m developing a website for a company that I want to someday work for. I never new a blog could be so important!
Be sure to have an “about me” section on your blog! — I’ve already applied this fact to my blog by adding the about me widget so that way people can tell exactly why I’m writing which will help my followers connect with me!
5 Site Must Haves: Tagline, About Me, Contact, Call to Action, and a Fast Load Time –Tagline: Keep it short and to point! Explain your purpose
–Contact: get a menu tap for contact to make it easy for people to interact with you
–Call to Action: Be sure to talk up your blog and ask people to follow it! –Fast Load Time: you want to have small file size so the pictures on your site load fast (100-300Kb is recommended)

I’ve used most of these to “pimp” my blog so be sure to apply them to yours too! They’ll help not only with appearance but traffic as well!

If you liked this post be sure to subscribe and follow my blog!

National Ag Day

escapingthetower — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:28:38 +0000

Happy National Ag Day!!

It is days like today that make me so proud to be apart of the agriculture industry! I absolutely love seeing people come together and rally around agriculture. Social media has made it so much easier to see all the ag support and is a great tool for agvocating. I’ve been tweeting about agriculture all day, made a facebook post, and i intend on instagraming an agriculture related photo. People need to know where their food comes from now more than ever with the agriculture industry under attack. In order to celebrate the day I’ve decided to share fun agriculture facts with all my friends, and share my passion for agriculture.

Here’s my Top 10 List

(from American Farm Bureau)

1. Farm and ranch families comprise just 2 percent of the U.S. population.

2. Today’s farmers produce 262 percent more food with 2 percent fewer inputs (labor, seeds, feed, fertilizer, etc.), compared with 1950.

3. In 2010, $115 billion worth of American agricultural products were exported around the world. The United States sells more food and fiber to world markets than we import, creating a positive agricultural trade balance.

4. Americans enjoy a food supply that abundant, affordable overall and among the world’s safest, thanks in large part to the efficiency and productivity of America’s farm and ranch families.

5. The average farmer feeds about 155 people

6. Of the 2.2 million farms in the United States, 87% are owned by an individual or a married couple (agweb.com)

(the following are from farmflavor.com)

7. The average dairy cow produces seven gallons of milk a day, 2,100 pounds of milk a month, and 46,000 glasses of milk a year

8. One pound of wool can make 10 miles of yarn. There are 150 yards (450 feet) of wool yarn in a baseball

9. Soybeans are an important ingredient for the production of crayons. In fact, one acre of soybeans can produce 82,368 crayons

10. Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world.

Agriculture is so important to so many people! I encourage all of you to spread the ag love and share the greatness of agriculture not just today, but every day!