By NANCY VORIS
Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Amy Kelsay has attracted a network of hundreds of followers on her Internet blog www.two maidsamilking.blogspot.com that she runs with a friend. The lively, colorful webpage is appealing and draws readers in to life on a dairy and agritourism operation, while sending out positive messages of modern agriculture.

Years ago farm women traded in their aprons for more participation in the farm operation, or for jobs in the cities. Now they are using their prowess on the Internet to get out positive messages on agriculture through social media such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

And it seems the busier women are, the more they can accomplish through social media.

“How to Talk to Strangers: Social Media 101,” an introductory session for women about social media – blogging, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and so on – will be offered free of charge three times in September, by the Indiana Farm Bureau and the IFB Women’s Leadership Committee.

The sessions will help attendees learn about different social media tools and how people in agriculture can share their stories in a way that encourages others to pay attention. All three sessions will be presented by Cris Goode, creator of the blog GOODEness Gracious at www.goodeness gracious.com and experienced Facebook user, where she can be found under the name “goodenessgracious,” and on Twitter at @crisgoode

“For those who are involved or just want a better understanding of social media, this is a strong foundation piece,” said Isabella Chism, IFB second vice president and chair of the Women’s Leadership Committee. “It’s just one more tool we can use to build relationships.”

Julia Wickard is the executive director of the Indiana Farm Service Agency, operates McClarnon Stock Farm with her husband and the mother of two. She has accounts with Facebook and Twitter that she uses personally and professionally to “tell the story” of her work, “our dedicated employees, our numerous voluntary programs or the travel I do across the state.”

She also uses social media to communicate about her family and farming operation, and said they are tools that help get accurate information out to the farm and non-farm public.

“SM (social media) is a great opportunity to tell the agricultural story,” Wickard said. “I believe farm folk are the best at communicating about the work on the land, and work that farmers do to feed this country and millions of people across the globe.”

Like Wickard, Kelsay also wears many hats. Her degrees in animal science and ag economics serve her well as owner of Kelsay Farm Tours, LLC. She and her husband, Joe – who serves as director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture – have three children and live on a sixth-generation dairy farm near Whiteland.

Their educational farm hosts thousands of young children and families each year.

“Social media helps us to connect with our customers, build those relationships and share information about our farm in a timely fashion,” Kelsay said. “We can put a name and face to our family farm.”

Not only does it help the farm, but social media helps Kelsay spread the word on family farming. She started her blog last spring, and is amazed at the number of “mommy bloggers” on the Internet.

“I blog about things that my own children do, and I’ve found an instant connection with young moms all over the U.S.,” she said. “This is a fantastic way to build a relationship which can then be taken to the next level when it comes to putting a face to agriculture. It’s a tremendous outlet to share your story.”

Of the leading online communities such as Facebook, blogs and Twitter, 80 percent are predominately comprised of women, Goode said.

She added such communities make it easy for anyone to share a message about anything these days – including agriculture.

Each session will be from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. EDT. Lunch will be provided.

The remaining dates and locations are as follows:

•Sept. 21 – Indiana Farm Bureau, Indianapolis, Ind.

•Sept. 29 – Scott County Farm Bureau, Scottsburg, Ind.
Reservations are required, for a lunch count. To reserve a spot, contact Joni Wallman as soon as possible, at 317-692-7870 or jwallman@infarm bureau.org