Instagram:@staufferdairy
Facebook:@StaufferDairy
Blog: www.staufferdairy.com
Krista loves to write, take photos, travel and meet new people. She loves raising their kids on their farm, homeschooling and working in her garden.
How did you get started sharing your farming journey on social media?
STAUFFER: I met my husband in 2009 when he moved to my hometown to start a dairy farm. While I had grown up around agriculture, my knowledge was very limited. I started seeing people post online about things they read or saw from activists, and it really started to get to me. I looked around online and realized there were really not too many farmers online sharing. So I decided to start sharing everything I was learning to combat the misinformation.
How did you build such a strong following on your Facebook page?
STAUFFER: I honestly have no idea. I just shared what I wanted when I wanted and was honest about what we were doing. No sugar-coating. It wasn’t always well received by the industry, but obviously the way things have been done in the past were not getting the job done.
On which social media platform are you most active?
STAUFFER: I go through phases over the past three to four years where I am super-active, then I bow out for a little bit. I’d say I am most active on Facebook, even though Instagram is my favorite platform.
What is the most popular post you’ve ever made?
STAUFFER: Probably some graphic or the video I did standing in the barn talking about how our cows are not abused.
Can you share an example of a rewarding experience you’ve had using social media to communicate about your life on the dairy farm?
STAUFFER: When my page gets attacked by activists before I even realize it, the people following along with our farm are all over it defending us. It feels good knowing I have built trust with people that they are willing to go to bat for us.
How do you handle the haters?
STAUFFER: Delete. Block. Move on. Sometimes use them as examples. Life is too short, and they are not my target audience. I no longer waste my time on them. As for the haters within ag, I do the same.
Why do farmers need to tell their story and have fun doing it?
STAUFFER: For the longest time, our industry pushed that every farmer needed to be on social media and we needed to be on every platform. All that led to was massive amounts of farmers being overwhelmed and burnt out. I have seen so many farmers quit telling their story online due to online drama or just being too overwhelmed. I think every farm has a unique story to tell. Do I think every farmer should be online? Nope. Do I think we need to be setting goals to reach 100,000 followers? Nope.
I think every farmer needs to meet people where they are most comfortable. Write for the local paper. Offer farm tours. Talk to folks at the county fair. There are so many ways to reach people that do not involve social media. For some reason, we put farmers on pedestals who have a certain amount of followers online, yet miss the ones in the trenches every single day bringing people to their farms, talking to people at farmers’ markets, going to schools and speaking, showing up to testify for legislation, etc. In order to effectively tell our story, to get our message heard and make a difference, we need to do things that we enjoy doing. Trying to post on every single social media platform, every single day … not fun. I just hope everyone is able to find something they enjoy doing and use that to make a difference.
