Since we know that many farmers are using social networking services like Twitter and Facebook I thought you’d be interested to learn about a couple of opportunities to learn more while you’re attending the Farm Progress Show next week.
To start with there’s a weekly Twitter conversation called AgChat. AgChat is for farmers, in fact for anyone involved in providing food, fuel, feed and fiber as well as consumers. The audience is growing and it’s providing some good interaction with people who want and need to understand agriculture today.
“AgChat gives farmers a stronger voice and leverages the power of the agricultural community,” notes Michele Payn-Knoper, Certified Speaking Professional and founder of #AgChat. “We see upwards of 1,000 “tweets” during our two hour discussion every Tuesday night, cementing this tool as an important venue for sharing views and ideas on current food and farm topics, from antibiotic use to mainstream media misinformation about agriculture.”
On Tuesday, September 1, Farm Progress attendees can learn more about this social media tool at two #AgChat events:
• Tweetup: A networking and #AgChat demonstration for those in agriculture who are a part of Twitter, or want to see it in action. From 3-5 p.m., in the Country Financial tent, booth 749 on 7th Street, join Payn-Knoper and others in the #AgChat community, who will answer any questions you have. Refreshments will be served.
• #AgChat live: Join other farmers and agribusiness to participate in this fast-paced streaming “convo” on Twitter. Tweet and talk with several of the chat regulars, or just watch the community in action. Payn-Knoper will be moderating live from Farm Progress, 7-9 p.m., in the Decatur Conference Center & Hotel Illini Room. Bioenergy is the topic for the Sept. 1 chat. Other #AgChat participants will be joining in the streaming conversation from locations around the world.
If you won’t be attending the Farm Progress Show then just get online Tuesday evening at the time listed above and go to www.tweetchat.com and enter the search term, #AgChat. Then you’ll be able to watch the conversation unfold one “tweet” at a time. You’ll need a Twitter account to do so but you don’t have to write if you don’t want. You can just watch. But we encourage you to participate!
Cindy and I will be attending the event and can often be found in the media tent. We’ll have stories as we find them for you here.