“Going Direct” in Agriculture Policy: A New Frontier for Farmers and Policymakers
In the fast-evolving world of communication, a strategy known as “going direct” is making waves. This approach bypasses traditional media, delivering messages straight to the audience. While industries like tech and media have already embraced this tactic, its implications for agriculture policy are equally profound. It has the potential to reshape how farmers, commodity groups, farmer associations, and policymakers connect with the public.
Why It Matters to Agriculture
Agriculture has long faced the challenge of fragmented audiences. Farmers, consumers, regulators, animal rights advocates, and environmentalists often view issues like the Farm Bill, animal welfare, land use, or sustainability through vastly different lenses. Legacy media once reliably reported on issues facing the ag community, but now it is a struggle to even get coverage, let alone a fair and unbiased story. “Going direct” is emerging as one of the only effective strategies to reach people who care about agriculture issues.
Agricultural organizations have already started leveraging this strategy. By sharing personal stories and venturing into the social media ecosystem, they are adopting an “all of the above” communication approach that allows them to not only educate policymakers but also connect with them in more personal ways.
The State of Play
Opposition groups have been quicker to adopt these newer forms of communication. Historically, agriculture relied on trade publications, local newspapers, and associations to amplify its voice.
Today, however, a single social media thread can break down how policy impacts the bottom line, or a Substack newsletter can share unvarnished insights directly with subscribers. This is “going direct” in its purest form: raw, personal, and unmediated.
During the 2024 election cycle for North Carolina’s Commissioners of Agriculture and Labor, this strategy was put to the test. Extreme candidates used social media to sanitize their messages, presenting themselves as more mainstream while spreading misinformation. The NC Ag Partnership responded in kind, with young farmers like Marlowe Ivey, Kim Kornegay Laquire, and Cara Ruth Page Dunnavant stepping up to provide authentic voices that corrected misinformation. Their short videos reached hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians who care about agriculture. This demonstrates the power of personal narratives in a way that traditional legacy media outreach efforts could not.
The Bottom Line
In agriculture policy, “going direct” isn’t a silver bullet — it’s a tool. Farmers and policymakers should use it alongside traditional PR methods. A viral social media post might rally the base, but a well-placed op-ed in a publication like Politico may sway a senator. The future lies in blending these approaches: owning the narrative while leveraging the reach and legitimacy of established platforms.
As the media landscape continues to splinter and trust in institutions wanes, agriculture cannot afford to stay on the sidelines. Whether it’s a farmer in Western North Carolina or a USDA official in Washington, those who master this hybrid approach will shape the policies — and the harvests — of tomorrow.
With your support, the NC Ag Partnership has and will continue to engage – when and where needed.
Thank you for the support, trust and confidence that you have placed in us. We do not take this lightly.
Sincerely,
Peter Daniel
Chairman, North Carolina Ag Partnership