Older producers are making the transition to digital

Mark Caspers Interview (0:51)

Interview Group 4 (0:56)

Some older producers have already made the transition, citing ag Web sites as the primary source of information and assistance in purchasing decisions. Mark Caspers, a 46-year-old producer from Auburn, Neb., likes the easy access that ag Web sites provide, and he finds the social network of the blogosphere to be helpful in purchasing decisions.

Bob Worth, a corn and soybean farmer from Lake Benton, Minn., finds he has more time to spend on his computer than to read magazines. He loves the accessibility his laptop brings, but is quick to point out that his radio is on “all the time.” Kniebel advises Web designers that a good site “needs to flow well and information needs to be easy to find.”

Using social media to manage ag issues

Debbie Lyons-Blythe Interview (0:58)

Debbie Lyons-Blythe, a cattle rancher from central Kansas, spends nearly two hours a day online and dedicates the majority of her time there to advocacy. While she says digital messages are the best way to reach her, she knows that agribusinesses need to market differently to her parents, who might click on a pertinent e-newsletter but are far more likely to read a magazine.

Nearly all the producers we interviewed told us that educating the general public and average consumer on ag advocacy issues is extremely important. Regardless of age, producers seem to grasp the power social media holds for issues management, and they agree social media holds a great opportunity for agriculture’s voice. Lyons-Blythe realizes that social media allows her to talk to people to whom she wouldn’t otherwise have access. She adds that connecting with people who don’t understand agriculture is key. Activists use social media, and agriculture needs to have a strong voice, too.

Debbie Lyons-Blythe Interview 2 (1:18)