The Red River Farm Network (RRFN) hosted its tenth annual Know Your Farmer Tour, July 25-26, 2023.
Don Wick, president of RRFN, said the tour is a way for advertising/PR agency representatives and communications professionals to connect with agriculture through first-hand experiences.
“It’s a chance for them to get out on a farm and have a one-on-one conversation with a farmer,” Wick said.
The tour was created to educate and inform about modern day agriculture and the of role farm broadcasting.
“Years ago, I was in a meeting with an agency, and I was talking to an account manager who was responsible for a major ag client,” Wick said. “I was amazed she’d never met a farmer, and we just brainstormed about this idea from there.”
The RRFN tour is limited to approximately 12 people annually, and there is a waitlist to join the event each year.
“In the early days, there was a worry it would be difficult to convince our target audience to make the trip to North Dakota,” Wick said. “But we actually have to limit the attendance each year because we want to create that meaningful interaction that comes with small groups.”
This year’s tour consisted of visits to three farms on day one, with an on-farm BBQ for dinner. The participants usually get to experience a variety of operations.
“We happen to be in a region that’s quite diverse,” Wick said. “We have corn, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, canola, dry beans, potatoes, sunflowers, and more.”
Wick added this is a great chance for area farmers to represent their industry.
“This is an opportunity for our farmers to tell their stories, and we’re blessed with farmers who are willing to open their doors and share their experiences,” Wick said.
The second day of the two-day tour is a classroom setup to expose participants to more farmers in a shorter time period.
“Generally, we have a couple of panels. One is with farmers, and the second panel consists of agricultural stakeholders, such as seed or crop protection company representatives.”
Wick says it’s important to include media professionals who are not directly involved with agriculture or farm broadcasting.
“It’s important our communications colleagues have a connection to the farm that produces their food,” Wick said. “The goal is to offer a unique experience for individuals within agencies at the client level. It’s important to provide meaningful education and networking opportunities in a fun, interactive way.”
