Communicating Your Farm to School Efforts
Posted on November 11, 2022
Farm to school and early childhood programs are ripe with stories: experiencing the crunch of a freshly picked snap pea for the first time, salad bars filled with fresh food from a local farm, or the joy of digging in the soil to unearth a pile of potatoes!
Your stories need to be heard so your community feels part of (and supports!) the important work you're doing to connect the cafeteria, classroom, and community. In a recent Vermont FEED workshop, Rebecca Sanborn Stone of Community Workshop, LLC shared her insights on how to communicate with the people that matter to your work.
Here are just a few takeaways gleaned from Rebecca’s workshop. Watch the full workshop below to learn more about community-based social marketing and how it can help to grow your farm to school and early childhood programs.
Get Creative
There’s a lot of content floating out there, and your stories need to push through the noise. Rebecca reminds us that it isn’t always the most obvious practices — press releases, social media, or advertising — that get attention. “Break out of the traditional boxes,” Rebecca explains. “This can look like garden parties, getting out on the street, setting up chalkboards and gathering ideas, or public art. It’s about thinking creatively, which can help you get more strategic, as well.”
Figure Out Your ‘Why’ to Connect to Your Audience
Rebecca asked participants, “Why are you involved in farm to school?” One answer: “Agriculture is critical—it is taken advantage of, and we need to get the younger generations more interested in where their food comes from.” Start with your ‘why’, drill down and find that kernel of inspiration and drive. It’s often these core beliefs that truly resonate with others and will help you build lasting connections.
Lift Up the Voices & Needs of Others
An important step to reaching the people you want to know about your program is listening. How do they like to receive information? What makes finding or using information challenging? As you build community and an audience, how can you gather and honor feedback? Good communications are an ever-evolving practice. Listen in on Rebecca’s workshop to learn more:
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