What are the USDA Food And Nutrition Programs? To many, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is just about agriculture. But it offers much more than that. The USDA offers services and support to many families that utilize the output of agriculture: food. In this FoodChat, USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon, Food, Nutrition & Consumer Services, shares more about what is offered.

• Can you start by telling us what @USDA Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services does?
• What is the one bit of information that gets misunderstood about @USDA food programs?
• What % of farm bill do programs such as WIC, SNAP and childhood nutrition comprise and why?
• As a former WIC director ?, WIC has a nutrition ed component are there outcomes analysis on efficacy?
• New child nutrition program regs released this year-What areas do you think should have been changed or added?
• What responsibility do you see #farms holding in the #nutritional challenges of the US? Or is it consumer?
• When it comes 2 nations obesity issue food system/programs r quick 2 blame How can we stop ‘blame’ & increase ed?
• Have you found any #nutrition or #eatright progs that overcome the nutrition apathy we seem to have in the US?
• How are farms connected to the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) via @USDA?
• Can you explain how 1 in 4 Americans are served by food/ nutrition progs & how this % compares to 10 yrs ago?
• What is the one executable idea you’ll be working on from tonight’s #foodchat?

Media Influencing Consumer And Business Decisions How are media channels informing consumers? What are some of the methods agriculture information is shared with non-ag people? This AgChat session shares thoughts on media influences on people and business decisions.

• Have you made a change on your farm operation as a result of a media story?
• Do you believe consumers are swayed by tv radio & movies on how #ag produces #food?
• #Media lives/dies by audience sensation & scoops. How do you think #Farmers & #Ranchers should prepare their story?
• How can #Ag & #Food experts better work w/ #media to provide firsthand expert information?
• What makes a trusted #media source?
• Who’s your ‘go to’ #media source for #Ag & #Food news?
• How does Social Media help/hinder your business growth (communication/productivity…etc.) ?
• How can we as #AG commun. do a better job of cutting thru info overload to help people make #food buying decisions?
• Whether online or print – how much do you rely on trade pubs vs mass #media for biz information?
• When was the last time you talked to a journalist about #Agriculture? And to your friends?
• What is one executable idea you’ll be working on from tonight’s #agchat?

Applications Now Available for Agvocacy 2.0 Farmer Social Media Training

The third-annual Agvocacy 2.0 application for the 2012 social media training conference is now available. The two-day event will explore how farmers can effectively share agriculture’s message using social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, blogs and mobile applications.

The Agvocacy 2.0 conference will be held August 23 – 24, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Exciting features of the conference include:

• One-on-one chats with agriculture’s best and brightest in social media
• Networking with other participants
• Information about the latest tools and trends
• Real-world stories about taking the farm to consumers
• Insights on the human side of being social
• The tools to tell farming’s story confidently

“Graduates from Agvocacy 2.0 are making a significant impact in telling the agricultural story to consumers in the places where social communities are forming,” says Darin Grimm, President of the AgChat Foundation. “The prospect of equipping more individuals with the skills they need to successfully share their message is really exciting.”

The application is available for those interested in attending. Up to 75 people representing all sectors of agriculture will be invited to participate, with priority given to farmers and ranchers. Agvocacy 2.0 was completely sold out in 2010 and 2011, so interested applicants should apply early.

For 2010 and 2011 Agvocacy 2.0 graduates, The AgChat Foundation is accepting up to 25 returning attendees who also endorse a first-time applicant. This will allow for collaboration between those with beginner and advanced social media skill sets.

A memorial scholarship has been established to honor the life of AgChat Foundation board member Dr. Chris Raines and his work to educate consumers about meat production and science through social media. Two applications to the AgChat Foundation Agvocacy 2.0 Conference will be selected to receive a $250 scholarship to use toward registration fees. The recipients will be selected based on their involvement in the meat science industry.

For more information about Agvocacy 2.0 and The AgChat Foundation, visit AgChat.org.

About AgChat Foundation, Inc.
A group of farmers created the AgChat Foundation after connecting through the now highly visible “#AgChat” community on Twitter, a weekly moderated chat where agriculturists discuss various issues, tell their farm stories and identify ways to connect with people outside of agriculture. The Foundation strives to educate and equip “agvocates” with the skill set needed to engage on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, YouTube, LinkedIn and other social media services, giving them the knowledge to unlock new tools to effectively tell their story. For more information, visit AgChat.org.

What Are Nutrients for Plants & Animals? Plants and animals need food to grow. What do farmers and ranchers do to provide the food and what are the issues they must handle? #AgChat farmers and ranchers provide some insights and learn what others are doing.

• What fertilizer / farming best practices for nutrient use and application are used on your farm or ranch?
• What are some of the issues crop producers have when dealing with nutrients?
• How important is the farming practices and what is fed to the soil/crop when making your food purchases?
• How are you using fertilizers to meet the challenges of environmental concerns & increased food demand?
• What precision ag tools are you using to apply nutrients more effectively & in an enviro friendly manner?
• Livestock manure is a valuable soil nutrient. How do you apply it to maximize benefit and minimize run off?
• Are there certain feed supplements are a must for weight gain or milk production?
• What is considered a nutrient for animals?
• How have advances in crop management benefited animal nutrition?
• On what scale are fertilizer nutrients helping to meet global food demands?
• What concerns do consumers have with crop, plant & animal nutrients?
• What is the one executable idea you’ll be working on from tonight’s #agchat?

Functional or Fancified?

By: Jenny Schweigert

Photography and the outdoors are two passions which have followed me through most of life. I’ve been taking pictures for as long as I can remember and the majority of this time was spent behind a point and shoot camera. Whether I’m shooting with a P&S or my fancified Canon, farms and ranches lend so many photogenic opportunities putting this subject at the top of favorites to photograph. Its about representing the everyday processes, machinery, a blade of wheat grass, the birth of a calf, the planting of sweet corn, herding a lone cow, harvesting soybeans and overall, honoring a legacy.  Whether its a P&S camera or a Nikon, pictures are waiting to be captured and stories told. With this said, I’ve had my insecurities about what I can and cannot capture. Will my photos qualify for award status? Measure up to others? Are these photos good enough to be used in blog posts?

Source: Jenny Schweigert

Recently, it was brought to my attention that my P&S hesitation, among others, is shared by others. Here is a list of items which touches on dissolving some possible issues:

1.)  Convenience. Although popular, the DSLR isn’t necessarily the best tool for farm/ranch photography. While you can produce fantastic photos, they tend to be bulky and therefore inconvenient for toting around the tractor. Not to mention the dust and blowing debris. In my experience, you have to be realistic rather than being enticed towards perfection through the lens of a DSLR. I think you too will find that a functional camera will capture your farm just as well as a fancy camera!

Source: Jenny Schweigert

3.) Read the manual. Read the manual. Read the manual. While all cameras may seem the same, each has its own quarks. Even a P&S. Its important to know if the camera has a special setting for whatever it is you want to do, especially when you are in the field. Cows are like kids; when the opportunity presents itself, you need to be ready.

4.) Opportunity costs. Photography on the farm comes with its hurdles. Most obvious being a window of opportunity. When the good stuff is happening you are usually right in the thick of it limiting that window. We all know that time is money. So you can choose to take a little time off or incorporate those opportunities into your work (easier said than done). Always carry the camera with you and take advantage of situations like equipment breakdowns. Grab the camera while you wait for the milker to finish up or bring it out for the birth of a calf. Remember, sharing your story will increase support of farmers and ranchers, alike.

Source: Jenny Schweigert

5.) Think outside the camera. Experiment with different angles and aspects. Try laying on the ground to capture a row of corn; having spent considerable time testing the technique, I have found it to be a whole new world. Ruminate on photographing atop your horse when herding cows or give a cotton plant a diagonal view. Don’t be afraid to try a new perspective-You’ll find that your photos will have more dimension, making the photo more interesting for your readers.

Source: Jenny Schweigert

6.) Understand your flash. One of the most frustrating things about P&S cameras is the flash. In an effort to produce a small but exceptional product a P&S camera tends to be small. Which means your flash is close to the lens which over exposes the photo. My recommendation would be to ditch the flash altogether and work with the natural light.

7.) Stability. This isn’t quite as important for P&S cameras. If you are using DSLR this is key if your lens does not have a stabilizer. Brace yourself against a wall, door or whatever is nearby. Concentrate on your breathing so that you snap the picture in between breaths. And, relax.

Whatever the hurdle, let’s help America understand where their food comes from by starting with shooting pictures of your experiences. Grab your camera, seize the day and become a story teller. After you grab that camera, let us know other hurdles you are looking to conquer.

Jenny, aka, The Magic Mama, lives with her amazing husband, three crazy boys & three loyal dogs on an old farmstead in rural Illinois. The farmstead comes complete with a circa 1880‘s farmhouse & small hobby farm where the family raises chickens, steers, ducks & two pet goats. Jenny blogs at http://www.themagicfarmhouse.com/

Planting Choices It’s spring time and the fields are being prepared for planting. But what to plant? How do farmers decide when to plant? And what actions are taken to enhance the environment? Planting choices are the subject of this week’s #AgChat conversation.

• Planting decisions (what to plant) are based on what?
• Do you plant Biotech corn? What is the biggest reason you choose to/not to use the tech?
• With planting season so far in progress, what’s everyone’s opinion on double cropping this year?
• Do USDA projections alter your planting plans?
• With 28% of the corn crop already in the grown, what will be the effect on futures?
• Who or what do you look to help decide the first day to start planting?
• What’s the strangest/funniest or most surprising question you’ve ever been asked about planting? Or misperception re your crops?
• What is the earliest or latest you’ve ever finished spring planting?
• What are your thoughts on the lawsuits that some technology providers have brought against farmers?
• How much tillage do you do before planting and why?
• What’s one thing you can share with the non-farm public about #plant12 & your farm in the week ahead?

Food Comes From Someplace Food is everywhere and yet where does it come from? Consumers see food stacked and organized in groceries and restaurants magically bring the food from the kitchen. But food has to come from someplace, doesn’t it? This FoodChat aims to help consumers understand the origins of food and help farmers learn more about consumer’s questions.

• What is the definition of ‘food’?
• Tell us where your food came from tonight. Which States/Countries?
• Does it matter where your food comes from?
• Are there tools to help us learn where food comes from?
• If you are a farmer/rancher/gardener what foods to you raise/produce? Where can people buy them?
• Look in your kitchen: Which food traveled the farthest to get to your refrigerator/pantry?
• Have any farmers/ranchers been on an ag trade mission to a foreign country? What were goals?
• What are the pros/cons of a global food marketplace?
• When buying global do you look for Fair Trade/Rain Forest Alliance labels?
• What do you consider local?
• How do we teach kids (home & school) where their food comes from?
• When you move, how do you connect with food producers in a new location (rural or urban)?
• Most of us have ancestors from another country. Which foods did they bring to USA/Canada?

We are excited to to announce that we are hiring a communications assistant to join our team.

AgChat Foundation, Inc

Communications Assistant

Job Description

Mission: To empower farmers and ranchers to connect communities through social media platforms.

The AgChat Foundation is designed to help those who produce food, fuel, fiber and feed tell agriculture’s story from their point of view. The Foundation educates and equips farmers and ranchers with the skill sets needed to effectively engage on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, YouTube and other social media platforms.

Description:The AgChat Foundation (ACF) is seeking a self motivated individual to serve as a communications assistant. This position works directly with the farmer, rancher and agribusiness volunteers of the organization and reports to the executive director. The position will be broken down into two key areas of focus.

Communications

• Assist with daily social media interactions, including but not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and blog. This includes posting status updates, tweets and replying to questions and comments.
• Work with board members and volunteers to produce, create/write and publish content on blog.
• Website updating as needed.

Event and Training Planning

• Assist with the planning and logistics of the ACF Agvocacy 2.0 Training Conference.
• Assist with developing promotional materials for ACF events
• Work with volunteers to implement special projects such as: webinars, e-newsletters, outreach, social media campaigns.

Qualifications:

• Must have experience using social media platforms including but not limited to: WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+,  Pinterest.
• Must have the ability to work remotely.
• Must have good proofreading skills.
• Some knowledge of the agriculture industry is desired.
• Access to and knowledge of desktop publishing software such as InDesign, Quark or Photoshop is desired.
• Must be able to attend ACF’s Agvocacy 2.0 Training Conference August 22-24 in Kansas City, MO.

Location: Working Remotely. Candidate must have access to their own computer, internet connection, and mobile phone.

Pay: This position is a contract position. The contractor must be able to dedicate 10 to 20 hours per week to this position. Please submit a detailed draft contract with pay expectations when applying.

Interested applicants need to send a resume, draft contract, references and two samples of writing or a link to a digital portfolio or blog to the ACF executive director, Emily Zweber, at execdir@agchat.org by April 23, 2012. Please direct questions to Emily Zweber at execdir@agchat.org or 651-341-0430.

Young Farmers and Startup Businesses How does one get started in agriculture as a business? What are some of the issues and where does one turn for advice? This #AgChat conversation looks toward those with some experience in running farm and ranch operation for some advice and input.

• What can young farmers do to become more energy efficient – solar/wind energy use on farm for ex ?
• What are some of the best planning tools or resources available for starting business farms?
• 32 &still; trying to get going in farming. Any tips on gaining rentable acres to increase my 500 acre operation?
• What are some Government incentive options to encourage young farmers in the U.S.? How can Canada learn?
• oldercrowd,reflecting back,knowing what Uknow now,what would Usuggest in starting farm biz to’younger’crowd?
• How did you come to thinking of agriculture as a business to start?
• What is the best/worst advice you’ve gotten about getting started in farming, ranching?
• What resources are available 4niche products?Banks want tradition/solid?Direct borrow/investments-recomended?
• What geographic regions tend to help farmers more get started? What are the regions doing?
• Over last 3yrs new SM channels (ex, @Pinterest @google + ) added. FB, Twitter, updated. How do Ufeel on change?
• What is the most unexpected thing you’ve learned/had to deal with in ag?
• What are you going to use from tonight?

By: Jan Hoadley, farmer board member

Why and How Do You Farm?

Most people begin a blog to reach out and share what they do on a daily basis. Somewhere along the track it can get delayed with ‘educating’ rather than ‘sharing.’ Or, perhaps, you’re thinking about doing a blog but are unsure who will read it and what to write about. Developing ideas for new posts is easy if you increase awareness.

Imagine having a five year old shadow you for your daily chores. Why do you do that? What are you doing? Why are you doing it? How do you know what this chore needs done? All of these lead to a list of blog post ideas.

For example – we go out to do chores, and often don’t *think* about what we’re doing. Our evening chores might be feed and water poultry and rabbits, check for eggs, water gardens, breed a doe. Sounds boring doesn’t it?!

Enter the imaginary 5 year old. What are you feeding the rabbits? Both chickens and rabbits get pellets why are they in different bags? Why do seeds need watered and what kind are they? Why did we plant those seeds? Why did we choose the breeds we have from the hundreds available? How do we know when to breed? How do we handle the eggs?

Now flesh that out a little bit – what we do to collect eggs matters why? Because how they’re handled can make a difference in taste and fertility (if hatching) eggs. Do you think consumers don’t care about what we’re doing for food safety? All of the imaginary child’s questions are topic ideas.

Others might be what are we feeding and where is it made? Various farms may have different ways to show and explain what they do. Dairies may approach calf care, newborn care, maternity, care of fresh cows, what is in the feed and why, how do you clean the tanks and milkers. Crop farmers may have much to share on soil health and maintenance. Boring? Only if you make it so! Remember there are many saying farmers ‘ruin’ the soil. Consumers seeing that isn’t true is one possible reader, but also those gardeners are another. It’s interaction with agriculture.

These contacts may never purchase from you directly, but when the next media frenzy starts they may come to you for answers. Or they may say “hey I know one of those crop farmers, and he takes care of the soil!”

Explain what you do and how you do it to that imaginary 5 year old. It’s the cheapest employee you’ll ever have.