Agriculture communications: what is it, and what do you do?
My sister shot me this question in an email. She’s wrapping up her first year of college and is thinking about getting an ag communications degree. Of course I said, “Yes, it’s a great field!”. When it comes to answering “what do you do?”, it takes a few more words.
Agriculture Diarama - part of the Agriculture Gallery at the Science Museum in London
In an effort to dive into the details of that big snapshot of ag communications, here’s a rundown of my day-to-day life as the communications manager for a national commodity group.
- Photography – Travel around the growing regions taking photos of crops/farms/harvest/meetings/etc.
- Website – Manage all content on industry website. Work with web developers on consumer website and continuing design changes.
- Social Media – Manage social media outlets including Facebook, Twitter and video.
- Publications – Publish weekly newsletter for membership. Design/write bi-annual magazine and any other correspondence
- Graphic Design – Design advertisements, web graphics, presentation design…beautify whatever needs beautifying.
- Statistics – Update statistical spreadsheets with all data (acreage/production/price/etc.)
- Travel – Attend national board meetings and trade conventions.
- Media Relations – Set up interviews, handle information requests, write press releases, etc.
Of course there are other things too. General office duties like answering phones, sending out large mailings, random projects, pitching in when needed and drinking coffee.
This isn’t a comprehensive list, and other professionals working in agriculture communications have different focuses and duties depending on who they work for (please chime in!). It’s a great job for creative-minded people who love agriculture.
Plus there’s a lot of room for innovation. What’s not to love?
{image by Frankie Roberto (cc)}
