Subject: National Online Event Showcases Where Your Food Comes From
From: "Farm Journal Media" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2011 18:09:13 -0400 (EDT)

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For Immediate Release
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For more information contact:
=br />Charlene Finck, President
Phone: 573.58=.9642
E-mail: [email-masked]

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<=trong>National Online Event Showcases
Where Your Food Comes From

Philadelphia, PA (October 3, 2=11) -- Farmers and ranchers from all 50 states recently participated in an=online event that provided firsthand reports from the fields, barns and bu=inesses that raise and deliver food across the U.S.

Called "A D=y in Agriculture," the virtual event was hosted by the nation's =eading agricultural website, AgWeb.com, to connect Americans to where food=is produced. Video, photo, written and social media submissions were gathe=ed from all facets of agriculture; conventional, organic, livestock and cr=p production were represented.

"From the nutritional value of t=e local school lunch menu to the purity of apple juice, food is a hot disc=ssion topic for many Americans. What often gets left out of the discussion= however, is where that food really originates and who exactly is responsi=le for producing it," explained Greg Vincent, AgWeb Editor, who hoste= the event. "This virtual event connected those faces–and real =arms–to the food we eat."

More than 60 of the nearly 200 =ubmissions were collected directly from farmers throughout the day. In add=tion, producers, members of the Farm Journal Media team and others in the =arming and food industries participated. The engagement continued beyond t=e farm gate. The social media world was buzzing with tweets and Facebook p=sts about the day. More than 270 tweeters posted 600 messages on Twitter t=roughout the day with the hashtag #dayinag.

The social media convers=tion sparked discussions from all sides of food issues. For example, a foo= reform advocate in New York City interacted with a farmer on Twitter=who helped answer her questions about egg production. "I am learning =oday!" Leslie Henry posted on he= Twitter feed.

"This virtual event speaks magnitudes about =wo very important things, first that farmers and ranchers are eager and ex=ited to talk with the end consumer about what they do and second, that the=end consumer is hungry to learn more about how agriculture really works,&q=ot; said Farm Journal Foundation Chairman Andy Weber. "The Day in Ag =vent was so unique because it allowed–like never before–produc=rs and consumers to connect in real life and in real time."

The=event was supported by Farmers Feeding the World, a nonprofit effort of th= Farm Journal Foundation, which is devoted to hunger relief and increasing=the understanding of food issues. The American Farm Bureau Federation and =everal of its state affiliates participated in the program by providing co=tent and organizing farmers to submit their stories.

To see vignette= gathered from the event, visit w=w.dayinag.com.

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About the =arm Journal Foundation
The Farm Journal Foundation is a =onprofit corporation dedicated to sustaining U.S. agriculture's ability to=serve the vital needs of a growing world population with education and ass=stance focused on the unique interests of people and organizations aligned=with U.S agriculture. The Foundation houses Farm Journal's myriad advocacy=initiatives such as the Farmers Feeding the World campaign and elem=nts of the Farm Journal Legacy Project.

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Farm Journal Media, 30 S.=15th Street, Suite 900, Philadelphia, PA 19102

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