Which is Scarier: Connecting or Not Connecting with Consumers?
For some people, getting up in front of people to talk is no problem. For others, it’s the stuff nightmares are made of. Not everyone has the gift of gab or is comfortable sharing their story.
In a world where ballot initiatives and misguided information are beginning to dictate how pork producers should raise pigs, Farm Journal’s PORK reached out to five producers to ask them what scares them more: connecting with consumers or not connecting with consumers.
Here’s what they had to say.
“Not connecting with our consumers scares me. We live in a society where we have a 24-hour news cycle. Anyone can publish a story on the internet. It is important farmers share their story with consumers so consumers can learn firsthand how food is raised. Farmers have a long list of chores to do each day and connecting to consumers should be on our chore list. I’ve never met a farmer who doesn’t light up when they talk about their family farm. Their passion and pride are invaluable and we need to help our consumers learn the accurate story of agriculture. If we don’t tell our story, the internet will try to tell it for us, and it may not be an accurate version.” - Chris Chinn, Missouri pork producer
“Our industry is in trouble if we don’t connect with consumers. Each of us needs to figure out how we communicate and relate the best, whether it’s social media, public speaking, or hosting strategic guests on our farms. I have found that when I explain why we do what we do, most people are quite interested and appreciative of the work it takes to produce pork.” – Chad Leman, Illinois pork producer
“Not connecting with consumers. If you don’t interact with consumers, they tend to draw their own conclusions. I would rather make solid and impactful connections and hope that interaction gets passed along to their influences (family and friends).” – Janae Metzger, Iowa pork producer
“I love connecting with our consumers. I enjoy telling our story of how we raise pork and getting back the positive feedback from our consumers is truly a recognition of all the long hours and hard work we put into raising hogs. So, it scares me more not to connect with consumers. I am proud of what we do because I know we are doing it in the best way.” – Nathan Schroeder, Ohio pork producer
“I fear I don’t do enough to connect with consumers. As a direct-to-consumer producer, it can be hard to balance the on-farm work and the outreach marketing side of the business.” – Logan Thornton, Idaho pork producer
We will be uniting together June 5-11 for PORK Week across all of our Farm Journal platforms to elevate the important role the pork industry plays in feeding the world. Share your stories and post photos on social media using #PORKWeek23 to help us honor the pork industry. From “AgDay TV” to “AgriTalk” to “U.S. Farm Report” to PorkBusiness.com and everything in between, tune in and join us as we acknowledge the most noble profession there is: feeding people.
Read More:
Pork Producers Provide Perspective for Lawmakers
Girl on Fire: Paizlee Hardin’s Return to the Show Ring
Want to Drive Pork Demand? Fish Where the Fish Are
