Ag Diversification on the Airwaves - Diversification Broadcasts to Inform and Inspire

Ag Diversification on the Airwaves - Diversification Broadcasts to Inform and Inspire

Summary

In its second year, our project ream added a member and developed and broadcast 24 minute-long radio features profiling innovative Minnesota farmers, and created and distributed 1,000 compilation CDs to individuals and non-participating radio stations. The project team met three times by conference call to discuss progress, develop story lineups, and identify ways to improve project scope and reach. Show themes were selected by a collaborative process including all team members and included alternative crops, livestock, on-farm processing and value-added enterprises, conservation, and marketing. We estimate each show reached more than 300,000 listeners. Audio files of each program, written transcripts, and links to additional information for each of the program topics continued to be available on-line.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Short –term expected outcomes
S1. Increased experimentation and awareness of farmers and rural citizens about the range and viability of agricultural diversification options
S2. Increased appreciation of the importance of sustainable agriculture and diversification to urban/consumer audiences
S3. Increased knowledge about NCR-SARE and MDA producer grant programs, projects, and recipients

Intermediate expected outcomes
I1. More farmers seek information about and experiment with diversification options
I2. Closer working relationships among partners
I3. New friendships, collegiality among farmer team members

Long term expected outcomes
L1. Increased programs and resources committed to ag diversification
L2. Wider array of agricultural enterprises on MN farms
L3. More infrastructure for farming alternatives
L4. More successful farms on landscape
L5. Increased ag business opportunities in rural communities

Accomplishments/Milestones

2007 Plans and Priorities as Reported in 2006 (A) and Corresponding Accomplishments in 2007 (B)

A. Increase visibility/outreach efforts (bookmarks, magnets, etc.)

B. Created and distributed bookmarks, magnets, CDs

A. Seek sponsors to continue project beyond end of SARE funding.

B. ontinued to discuss need and ideas about continued funding and sources

A. Encourage program rebroadcasting by other networks, agencies, etc.

B. Added rebroadcast permission to MP3 file page on web site; mailed compilation CD to program directors at 100+ rural stations

A. Publicize resource (broadcast and web) to agricultural agencies and groups (e.g., Agri-Marketing Magazine, Extension, FSA, etc., as well as through general meeting.)

B. Used e-mail to publicize information about the program (and its free 24-hr a day internet availability for listening and re use) to:
-Ag in the Classroom Program
-Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Agriculture Programs,
-Minnesota Farm Service Agency,
-Minnesota Natural Resources Conservation Service,
-Minnesota Extension staff (via State SARE PDP coordinator,
-Independent Community Bankers Association,
-ATTRA News,
-Minnesota Agricultural Utilization Research Institute,
-Minnesota Grown
-encouraging all recipients to share with members, colleagues, staff, subscribers.

In 2007, a functioning project team consisting of all original members ( plus an additional farmer) continued to meet by phone to discuss the progress of the project and brainstorm and select story ideas. The following 24 stories were each broadcast for five days on the 33 stations that comprise the Minnesota Farm Network.

Grant programs help farmers try new things (profiled SARE grant recipient Carol Ford)
-#2 Yellow Corn Delivery Service – From Field to Furnace
-Advice from a Young Farm Entrepreneur: The Next Farm Generation
-Auto Guidance Can Make Field Operations More Efficient
-Bedding Plants
-Boosting Fertilizer and Fuel Efficiency with Strip Tillage
-Compost Bedding for Dairy Cows
-Composting Beef Manure Makes Black Gold
-Direct Marketing to Restaurants
-Edible Flowers
-Green Eggs Wow Customers
-Making Biodiesel on Your Farm
-Maple Syrup
-Milking Dairy Goats
-Organic Farming – The Second Best Decision of my Life
-On-Farm Processing – Adding Value to Small Grains
-Operating a Therapeutic Riding Stable
-Potatoes in Peat – Growing and Marketing
-Self-Serve Sweetcorn Stands
-Start Your Own Apple Orchard
-Step Right Up, Ladies: Automatic System Milks on Cows’ Own Schedules 24/7
-Transitioning to Organic Dairy
-Wind Turbines: Harvesting energy on your own farm
-Worm Farming

At the end of each profile, we continued to provide a web address for more info. That location provided two link options: listen to shows (MDA) or read transcripts (MFU). At the MDA site where the MP3s were located, we continued to provide links to additional information about each topic.

In addition, we took action on several of the team’s ideas for promoting the project and the shows:

1) Promotional magnets (2.5” square): Team members came up with “jingle” ideas and a graphic designer at the MDA created the magnet. We had 2,500 of the magnets printed. Team members and partner organizations distributed them at field days, meetings, workshops, conferences and local businesses.

2) Compilation CDs: We printed 1,000 copies of a compilation CD containing 40 of the minute-long stories. We mailed these out to every rural radio station in Minnesota that was not already a the Minnesota Farm Network affiliate with a cover lettter encouraging program directors to use any or all of the shows.

3) Encourage web listening and rebroadcasting: the MDA added a “permission to rebroadcast” statement on the web page where MP3 files are located and issued a press release about the free, 24/7 availability to all rural and agricultural media on May 7.

(note: graphics do not reproduce in this reporting program. Contact NCR SARE at 612-626-3113 for a hard copy of this report.)

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Evaluating the impact of this project remained a challenge in 2007. Based on listener data, we can reasonably estimate that each of the 24 shows broadcast reached more than 300,000 listeners. During our conference calls, team members reported that occasionally they overheard people discussing stories. Broadcaster Tom Rothman was also an important barometer, as sometimes listeners called him directly about a show they’d heard. He reported the most calls about the “Making Biodiesel on Your Farm” show (Listen at: http://www.mda.state.mn.us/news/audio/biodiesel.mp3)

Web visits provide one way to estimate the project’s impact. In 2007, 1,450 different individuals looked at the web site. This was a decrease of 173 people compared to 2006, a bit disconcerting since at the same time we boosted our publicity efforts to agricultural organizations and with items like the magnets. The decrease may be associated with the fact ran fewer stories in 2007 (24 compared to 30 in 2006).

The response cards that we included with the CD mailing to program directors at more than 100 rural radio stations provided some indication that this effort would expand program listenership. More than half of the 14 stations that returned cards said they would be likely to use 10 or more shows.

In an effort to measure awareness about the program, the 2007 Minnesota Organic Conference and Sustainable Farming Association Conferences included questions about it on their conference evaluation forms. Only seven percent of Organic Conference respondents reported hearing the program, but we don’t know whether the remaining 93% not hear it, did not remember it, or do they not listen a MFN station that carried the show.

Team members discussed ideas for continuing the show beyond SARE funding, including grants from private foundations or gift funds from AgStar Bank or foundation, or another agriculture-related business, but made no concrete progress. State rules preclude the MDA from soliciting gifts directly, so it is up to individual team members to pursue this avenue. The model that this project should work well and be easily adaptable to another funder, or to multiple funders.

In 2007, we made progress the following epected outcomes:

S1. Increased experimentation and awareness of farmers and rural citizens about the range and viability of agricultural diversification options

S3. Increased knowledge about NCR-SARE and MDA producer grant programs, projects, and recipients

I2. Closer working relationships among partners
I3. New friendships, collegiality among farmer team members

The products that this project has produced, both recorded interviews and CDs, will endure and could be used in the future to help bring about any and all of the long term expected outcomes:

L1. Increased programs and resources committed to ag diversification
L2. Wider array of agricultural enterprises on MN farms
L3. More infrastructure for farming alternatives
L4. More successful farms on landscape
L5. Increased ag business opportunities in rural communities

While there has been no visible progress toward long term outcomes yet, the products that this project has produced, both recorded interviews and CDs, will endure and could be used in the future to help bring about any and all of the long term expected outcomes.

(note: graphics do not reproduce in this reporting program. Contact NCR SARE at 612-626-3113 for a hard copy of this report.)

Collaborators: