Building Your Network for Success

Networking is linked to higher sales. One scientist on the study said, "Farmers who added a single new connection to their network experienced up to a 25% increase in sales." Networks can alert you to new technologies, methods, and programs and to people who can help you solve problems. You can read more about this study at Small and Minority Farmers Networks Influence Bottom Line.

Here are some ideas for widening your network:

Other Farmers

Other farmers are going through or have been through the same experiences that you are and can provide support and serve as a source of farm-tested information. As an example of the importance of including other farmers in your network, 133 farmers at the 2019 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention were asked, "How do you select varieties?" Their top answer was by talking with "other farmers."

Farmer responses to the question, "How do you select varieties?"

Farmers were asked to select their top three choices.

Farmer-centered Organizations

Consider adding farmer-centered organizations, like Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Co-Op, or the Young Grower Alliance, to your network. Organizations like these host educational events, conduct research, offer apprenticeships, support and influence agriculture policy, and/or provide opportunities for meeting other farmers and members of the agriculture community. For example, the Rodale Institute has a team of scientists researching organic farming. Results from these studies are shared through educational events including webinars, workshops, and farm consulting. You can connect to information like this by joining farmer-centered organizations.

Penn State Extension

Penn State Extension is the bridge between the science conducted at Pennsylvania State University and you, as part of the agriculture community. Most information available from Penn State Extension is developed after years of research run by Penn State University and/or other scientists. Scientists work closely with the agriculture community to determine which research questions to study. Penn State University scientists are not paid to promote any products, equipment, or services. We do not work on commissions and our salaries are not dependent on selling any agriculture product, equipment, or service to anyone. What this means is that Penn State Extension provides unbiased information you can trust.

Two ways to connect to Penn State Extension are through the internet and our network of Extension Educators.

At the Penn State Extension website, you will find information on different agriculture topics including vegetables, tree fruit, berries, grapes, dairy, farm food safety, health and nutrition, and more. Information may be presented as an article, poster, video, or flipchart. Workshops, webinars, online courses, and other events are also found on the website. New information is added frequently. While most information is in English, a number of articles and videos are also in Spanish and some are in French.

Extension Educators are located throughout Pennsylvania and are available to help you with your needs for agriculture information. Contact information for all of us is on the Penn State Extension website.

Social Media

Moving to online social networks allows connections from the comforts of home, office, or field with folks that are like-minded. As in face-to-face encounters, trust is essential in the online environment, but it allows you to expand and increase your circle of friends beyond those in close geographic proximity. The internet makes the world smaller. For introverts that avoid or feel intimidated at large, boisterous meetings, this might be a good avenue to develop relationships.

There are a number of possibilities:

Facebook

Probably the most popular social media which allows users to interact with others, share photos, video, and information. In the case of farmers, Facebook Groups is a feature that allows users to connect, discuss, and network with each other within the context of a common interest or topic.

Penn State Extension's Latinx Agriculture Network recently launched a new Spanish Facebook page with science-based horticulture, food safety, and workplace safety resources at PennStateAgriculturaEnEspanol. About 20 posts are shared here each month with people visiting from across the U.S. and other countries including Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala, and more.

YouTube

A video-sharing website. Through YouTube, it is very easy to create and upload your videos. This site allows other farmers to see (not read) your perspectives and practices.

Twitter

A social networking microblogging platform in which registered members write and send short, 280-character messages, or tweets. Farmers can utilize hashtags, at the beginning of a word or phrase which categorizes a tweet's topic or theme. For example, the use of hashtag #organicfarming in a tweet will make a connection with someone who searches 'organic farming'.

Farmers.gov

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has several programs to assist farmers through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Agricultural Marketing Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Rural Development Program. You will find information on assistance through loans, grants, and cost-sharing as well as science-based information and guides for starting a new business on the www.farmers.gov website. Information is timely – currently you can find information on farming during the pandemic on the home page.

Usda.Gov/partnerships

The USDA Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement is a resource for rural and underserved agricultural communities. Education and resources for minority, women, veteran, urban, and new farmers are found at www.usda.gov/partnerships. Here is a sampling of the type of information you can find.

You can find information about the USDA Advisory Committees for Minority Farmers and Ranchers and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers on the website. These committees provide recommendations to Secretary Perdue and your input is important. For example, on July 29^th the Advisory Committee for Minority Farmers and Ranchers had a teleconference seeking public comments to help to identify and address issues farmers and ranchers face. You can find out about future meetings for either committee through the Advisory Committees website or email comments to acmf@usda.gov for the Advisory Committee for Minority Farmers and Ranchers or ACBeginningFarmersandRanchers@usda.gov for the Advisory Committee for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers.

Fifteen percent of food is grown in urban settings worldwide. This website has information on topics like mitigating soils contaminated with heavy metals, building high tunnels, and catching and using rainwater for those who are interested in being or who are currently urban farmers. The Urban Agriculture Tool Kit provides information about key considerations and available resources for aspiring, new, or beginning urban farmers.

Devoting time and effort to building your agriculture network can increase your farming successes. We hope the ideas presented here help you expand your network. As Bill Nye says, "Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't."