How Social Media Grows On Farms
A guest post by Jason Boucher
Rural communities in the United States have notoriously lacked Broadband infrastructure. Places like Clarksville, New Hampshire; Sherman Mills, Maine; and Enosburgh, Vermont, may be behind in the Information Age, but this does not necessarily mean all are purposefully living “off-the-grid.”
Social Media and smartphones are just two examples of how new technology is being embraced by rural areas to broaden communication. Farmers now use smartphones to check the weather forecast, send photos, check the market, or socially connect their farms to the eaters of America, and some even use Twitter to communicate and market their “brand.”
Even Corporate America is joining the cause, as evidenced by Frito-Lay’s recent use of social media to strut the power of the company’s potato farmers and provide them with greenhouses. A big tip of the cowboy hat to this big brand for raising awareness of social media within the farming community by bringing farmers, consumers and social media together.
The tech-savvy generation is an important factor and can help by mobilizing and donating its collective digital talents to create so-called cooperative websites with built-in social networking tools. For example, Becky McCray, located in Oklahoma, helps share the wonders of social media with farm communities, small businesses and rural causes throughout the country and entire world.
The importance of social media needs to continue to be promoted, especially in rural America, on farms, in community centers, shelters, soup kitchens and food banks. Doing so enables each cause to reach hundreds of thousands of people instantly, opens communication and helps spread a message, whether that message is that of a large corporation or an underrepresented community.
Get involved! Make Social Media happen! Is there a rural area that you recently visited or read about that could benefit from social media? How about a charity right in your ‘hood? Think about it, each of us has the power to help. That’s why this works in the first place, right?
Jason Boucher is an Information Technologist at The University of New Hampshire by day and writer for Bouchermedia by night. He has 10+ years experience working with non-profit college & community radio and is involved with the local art and music community. Jason also hosts social networking meet-ups and is a member of Social Media Club New Hampshire.
