Social media bridging the gap between farmers and consumers
As part of their drive to connect with the public, more and more farmers are turning to the internet and with great success.
Three quarters of farmers surveyed believe the web has helped them get closer to consumers and many now use Twitter and Facebook to connect with the public, as well as their own websites and blogs.
The survey of farmers was carried out by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) ahead of this weekend’s Open Farm Sunday and revealed that more than eight in ten farmers are active on at least one social media platform. More than 40% of farmers believe that the majority of their online followers are consumers or members of the public, rather than those from within the food and farming industry, with a further 20% claiming an equal split. Consumers’ interest in farming is on the rise with seven in ten farmers saying they have seen an increase over the past 12 months. A similar number revealed they get asked questions online with the top topics including questions about farm visits (42%), what food they produce (35%) and how (32%).
More than three quarters of those surveyed have a website for their farm or planned to launch one in the next twelve months. Farms are maximising the opportunity websites offer with a host of information and activities designed to tell their story to consumers. These include blogs, online shops, videos, image galleries, newsletters and testimonials as well as recipes and tips enabling consumers to make the most of their produce. Many websites also have interactive farm maps and, through LEAF, there is also an opportunity to take a virtual farm walk.
Six in ten farmers said they had increased the time they spend on social media over the past year. Of the farmers questioned, six in ten use it to communicate with friends and family (60%), just ahead of the number who use it to communicate with customers (59%), or to get news from within the food and farming industry (55%).
Communicating with customers was the most important reason though, with 37% naming this ahead of communicating with family and friends (23%).
Forty-four per cent of farmers questioned use social media to communicate with each other with communities and discussion forums such as #AgriChatUK and #ClubHectare growing in strength. Farmer Charles Tassell, co-founder of #AgriChatUK, said: “Since we launched AgriChatUK last year we’ve seen the number of farmers taking part increasing week by week. This new research shows that farmers are not only talking online amongst themselves though, but are also embracing this relatively new arena as a tool to reach customers too. Anything that brings people closer to those of us who grow and produce their food is a good thing. Nearly half of the farmers surveyed said that people had been surprised to find them online, but the opportunity to explain farming to a non-farming audience should never be missed.”
While one in five farmers believe that social media and the internet is now the best way to communicate with consumers, seven in ten still believe that farm visits are the top choice. This weekend’s Open Farm Sunday will see more than 350 farms open their gates to the public to allow them to discover the story behind their food.
Caroline Drummond, Chief Executive, LEAF, the organisers of Open Farm Sunday, said: “The research showed that farmers are still being asked questions like ‘can you get cows from bulls?’ or ‘do potatoes grow on trees?’. This shows how important it is for farmers to engage with customers. It is great to see that the internet is playing its role, but nothing beats seeing farming up close. Open Farm Sunday has been connecting consumers and farmers for the past eight years and gives visitors the chance to meet the people who are growing their food, find out more, and say thank you too. We hope as many people a possible visit a farm on the 9th June.”
Facebook was the most popular platform, with seventy per cent of farmers either having a profile for themselves or a page for their farm. Other popular platforms included Twitter (45%), LinkedIn (24%) and Google+ (15%).
For more information on Open Farm Sunday visit www.farmsunday.org
