How did you get started sharing your farming journey on social media?
I always knew sharing the truth about agriculture was important, but always thought, “Eh, someone else will do it; we got Dairy Carrie … we are good.” From time to time, I would share blog posts from Dairy Carrie with my non-ag grandparents. I shared a particular post about animal abuse with my grandma. She thought it was so great and began complimenting me on how well-written and informative it was … she thought I wrote it. I corrected her, telling her another dairy farmer wrote it, but then got to thinking, “I could do this; I could blog.”
So I did just that. I got set up on WordPress.com and began typing away. My initial goal was just to share my farm life with my grandparents. Not only was it a way for them to stay informed about modern agriculture, but it also allowed them to see what I was up to and communicate.
I wrote about daily farm chores as well as popular topics and issues that were in the news. Mostly, I was just being me. So I was delightfully surprised when my number of followers began to grow. Soon after, “modern-day farm chick” made her way onto various social media platforms.
Image provided by Annaliese Wegner.
How did you build such a strong following on your Facebook/Instagram page?
It took time, consistency and just being authentic. I do my best to have fun with it, always be positive and not take anyone or anything too seriously. Someone once told me the best way to teach others about agriculture is by not talking about it. By talking about other things such as mom life, fitness, food and other interests, I am able to connect with others and build relationships.
On which social media platform are you most active?
Instagram is my jam.
What is the most popular post you’ve ever made?
Anytime I post about something controversial like antibiotics or animal abuse, it usually makes a splash. Posts that poke fun at the farm life usually do well too.
Can you share an example of a rewarding experience you’ve had using social media to communicate about your life on the dairy farm?
At my sister’s wedding, an old friend came up to me and shared how much she enjoys following me on social media. She also stated that she used to be fearful of GMOs and did her best to avoid them at the grocery store until she learned from my post that there was nothing to be fearful of. That really hit home for me. My goal has always just been to do what I can when I can. I know my voice isn’t reaching the masses, but if I am able to help at least one person feel more comfortable when it comes to grocery shopping, then I have done my job.
Instagram: @modfarmchick (25,500 followers)
Facebook: @moderndayfarmchick (118,000 followers)
