By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Food—it’s a shared connection between consumers and agriculture. That common ground was the idea behind a campaign launched Feb. 15 by Texas Farm Bureau (TFB).
A new video, titled Our Food: We’re in this Together, kicked off the campaign. The video was posted on TFB’s Facebook page, and more than 367,000 people have since viewed the video.
Photos and links back to the video were also posted on TFB’s other social media platforms—Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
“Marketing gimmicks and misinformation are abundant online and in the grocery store,” TFB President Russell Boening said. “We want to change that conversation. We want to share the truth and grow trust with our customers. This video is a good start to dive deeper into those conversations and relationships.”
Boening noted that agriculture isn’t black and white or one-size-fits-all.
“Each farmer is a little different, but we all have the same goal—to provide affordable, wholesome food,” Boening said. “Marketing and food labels shouldn’t bash one type of farming in an effort to sell a product. By having farmers and ranchers of all types in the video, we hope to show the diversity of agriculture and that we all want the same thing.”
Innovation and technology drive modern agriculture. Today’s advancements have increased yield, while also promoting soil health.
“Agriculture is sustainable,” Boening said. “Farmers and ranchers have new technologies, new methods and a desire to continually improve. Oftentimes, I think that message goes unheard.”
Family and values, Boening said, are key factors when consumers purchase items at the grocery store.
“The best thing we can tell them is that we eat the same food,” Boening said. “And we wouldn’t feed consumers something we wouldn’t feed our kids.”
As part of the campaign, TFB also launched a web page with more information on farm facts, agriculture’s impact on the state economy and the farm bill.
“This video and this website have information that we, as farmers and ranchers, need to share. It’s a message that we need to get to our customers, legislators and our friends and family,” Boening said. “I encourage you to share the video on social media or via email and add a personal note when you do. Showing that you’re proud of what you do and sincere in your efforts to provide food, fiber and fuel can help us bridge that gap between consumers and agriculture.”
To watch the video or share more information, visit txfb.us/ourfood.