Hilltop Dairy Inc.
Madi Roth Skubal
Iowa
TicTok: iowafarmwoman,
1,300 followers
Instagram and Facebook: @hilltopdairyinc,
17.5K followers
How did you get started sharing your farming journey on social media?
Skubal: After I graduated high school, Instagram was the new social media app, so while I was in college I would make some posts about the farm, but after I graduated college is when I really started to get involved with sharing our farm story on both Instagram and Facebook. I was getting lots of good feedback from people, even locals in my town who loved to hear about dairy farming and see a different side of agriculture.
Courtesy photo.
How did you build such a strong following on your Facebook/Instagram page?
Skubal: For the longest time, my Instagram page was at about 8,000 followers – but grew overnight once I started making reels. I wouldn’t say that it’s my strongest talent, but it’s a fun thing Instagram added that can draw people in and to make jokes but educate at the same time.
On which social media platform are you most active?
Skubal: I spent most of my time on Instagram, but whatever I do on Instagram automatically gets sent to Facebook for those followers.
Courtesy photo.
What is the most popular post you’ve ever made?
Can you share an example of a rewarding experience you’ve had using social media to communicate about your life on the dairy farm?
Skubal: Over the years of sharing our story, I will say that the good comments way outweigh the negative comments I get. Many times people only see the bad, but I have been blessed to have so many people message me kind words of encouragement. Recently, I had a follower from Las Vegas message me asking some questions about how we run our dairy farm. After I looked at her page, I realized that she was not raised anywhere near agriculture and in the heart of Las Vegas. I always tell my followers to ask farmers and not Google. It was so refreshing to have a conversation (which is still going on to this day) about our dairy and answer her questions. She keeps an open mind to learn, and even her questions will stop and cause me to think as well about maybe a different way we can practice on the farm. I tell my dad that I am not on social media to change the minds of activists but to educate the middle-ground consumers, and she is a prime example of how farmers sharing their story can gain a new consumer.
