w Minnesota Farmers CARE
Issue: Consumers are more removed from agriculture than ever before. The Minnesota Farmers CARE materials were developed for
county Farm Bureaus to communicate and connect with consumers. Maintaining and regaining the trust of consumers as the number
one resource on information regarding Animals • Environment • Food • Family is a priority.
Action: Meeker County Farm Bureau, in partnership with the Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation and 21 other county Farm Bureaus,
placed agricultural messages on four metro area billboards throughout the summer, including by the Minnesota State Capitol, Target
Field and the state fairgrounds. This project demonstrated local leadership and initiative for consumer outreach. In addition, county
Farm Bureaus across the state implemented local projects in order to be proactive with consumers not directly involved in agriculture.
Whoever defines the “issue” are the ones who have positive outcomes.
Result: The Minnesota Farmers CARE, Committed to Agriculture while Respecting the Earth, Animals • Environment • Food • Family
initiative to connect and engage consumers with farmers driven by local Farm Bureaus has been very successful. Projects include metro
billboards; local billboards; newspaper ads; placemats used at annual meetings and Breakfasts on the Farms; movie theater and radio
ads; pop up banners; back packs for 4-H youth leadership; state fair displays; county 4-H herdsmanship displays; bookmarks; newspaper
inserts; and brochures. This year’s projects had over 20 million consumer impressions.
SOTA FAR
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MI
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POSITIVE IMAGE
U FOUNDA
TI
ON
Strengthened Farm Bureau brand; Enhanced trust with
key influencers regarding today’s agriculture
Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation
Efforts to enhance the positive image of agriculture go hand in hand with the mission of
the Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation which is to provide opportunities for
supporters of agriculture to invest in people and programs focused on supporting active
farmers and agriculturalists, better connecting agriculture to consumers and serving
rural communities.
w Speak for Yourself
Issue: Over half of all Minnesotans have never met a farmer. Consumers are
extremely interested in their food and where it comes from. Studies have also
shown that people trust other individuals over a name or organization.
Action: Minnesota Farm Bureau worked with Eidson & Partners and
partnered with Minnesota Corn Growers Association and Minnesota Soybean
Research & Promotion Council to hold two training sessions for farmer
speakers throughout Minnesota. The first was an enrichment training for
previous participants of Speak for Yourself to work on answering tough
questions and sharpen media interview skills. The second was a first-time
training for nine new speakers where they learned about hot topics in
agriculture, developed their farm story and practiced sharing in the safe
environment.
Result: In total, 48 farmer leaders are trained speakers through Speak for
Yourself. With the help of Eidson & Partners, these speakers were able to
address more than 120 community organizations, including local rotary clubs,
lions clubs and school boards. Participants were provided with presentation
summary sheets to leave behind with their audiences and business cards to
keep the conversation about food and farming going. Speak for Yourself, also
known as Farming Today, participants are also engaged in the food
conversation online through social media and blogging.
w America’s Heartland, Farmers Feed US and United States
Farmers & Ranchers Alliance
Issue: It is important for agriculture organizations to represent themselves in a
unified front. Organizations exist to share resources and information regarding
spreading the positive word of agriculture.
Action: The Minnesota Farm Bureau has invested money and time in
organizations whose efforts aim to reach key influencers and enhance the
positive image of agriculture. Three of these organizations are America’s
Heartland, a television program on public television; Farmers Feed US, a coalition
of Minnesota agriculture organizations promoting safe and healthy food; and the
United States Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, a nationwide organization aiming to
answer questions about how farmers raise our food and care for their animals.
Result: Being part of these organizations allows Minnesota Farm Bureau to be at
the table when key decisions are being made about agriculture in Minnesota and
throughout the nation. Minnesota Farm Bureau is building positive relationships
to build a unified fo