Internet Strategies to Improve Farm Business Management - Reasons for Business Communication

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Reasons for Business Communication

3) Public Relations

Public relations, or PR, might look a lot like customer service, although your audience will include non-customers as well as customers. In its most basic form, PR communication provides basic company information such as a phone number and other ways to contact you, your address, and your hours of operation. You may also want to provide more detailed information such as your mission statement, some photos of you and your operation, and a short history of the business.

As an agricultural business owner, you may choose to provide information and education to the public. Often, those who don't come from a farm don't really understand production agriculture and where and how their food is grown. However, many are fascinated by farming and want to learn more about food production. This provides a wonderful opportunity for you to engage in public relations, advocating not only for you but also for all farmers. You can give information about production agriculture in general or maybe provide updates about your specific business. Some examples of good PR messages might include

news about a calf being born,
news about the latest group of school children touring the farm,
updates of planting or harvesting,
notifications of manure being spread or methods used to reduce odors, or
photos of machinery or production equipment.

These may be targeted very broadly or maybe just to your neighbors. Your neighbors may want to know, for example, when manure is being spread so they don't plan an outdoor family gathering for that day. But someone in a different state may be more interested in photos or videos of a calf being born or corn being planted. Regardless, PR is a potentially important tool as you interact with your community.

Mercer Vu's Website Designed for Public Relations

In 2002, Mercer Vu farms expanded their dairy herd to over 1000 cows. Anyone in agriculture knows that neighbors often don't care for large farms and the problems, perceived and real, that they bring. Consequently, the expansion was getting some attention in the local newspapers.

Rod Hissong and his family decided to launch a website to educate and inform the public about their expansion plans. The site, mercervufarms.com, discussed issues such as the family's role in the business, the farm's impact on the local community, and cow comfort. Rod indicates that the website has helped many people to learn more about agriculture and dairy farming. It was a great move!

The current site is still oriented toward public relations, but the expansion is no longer the focus. Rather, the current site tells readers what is happening on the farm, the farm's history, and how to contact and even visit the farm. It is a good way to be a neighborly neighbor.

Public relations is especially vital for the future vitality of farming in areas where urban encroachment is occurring. New neighbors may like to see barns, animals, and green fields, but they probably won't like the smells and noises that may come from the farms. Addressing issues of animal welfare, chemical applications, and production practices can help to educate the public in a positive way.

As you consider your audience, be sure to use language that they understand. Many non-farmers probably won't fully understand meanings of words like “pests,” “heifer,” or “freshen,” and they won't be accustomed to using words, like “manure,” that are common among livestock farmers. PR provides an opportunity to inform and educate, but be sure that your message is received.

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These materials were developed as part of the Southern Rural Development Center’s National e-Commerce Extension Initiative. They are based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Award No. 2005-45064-03212

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Southern Rural Development Center.