As we reflect on 2023, we are proud to share the success of two of our programs, College Aggies Online (CAO) and Animal Ag Allies, as they continue to reshape the narrative surrounding animal agriculture and cultivate a new group of informed and engaged voices. These programs represent a unique approach to bridge the communication gap between the animal agriculture community and consumers. Both programs offer a platform for participants and industry experts to connect, engage, and protect by discussing the hard-hitting issues that continue to affect the evolving animal agriculture landscape.
Growing the next generation of animal ag ambassadors
CAO, held for nine weeks in the fall, provides participants with training and guidance from social media-savvy farmers and industry experts via a discussion forum and weekly feedback on submitted work. The 2023 CAO program had 344 individuals and 14 collegiate clubs take part, nearly double the number of individual participants from 2022 and the largest number of total participants in five years! Throughout the program, individual participants shared more than 1,380 posts about agriculture. The clubs hosted 33 campus and community activities reaching over 10,000 people, which is up more than 400% compared to 2022.
“College Aggies Online was a great opportunity to push me out of my comfort zone. Not only am I a more informed advocate for agriculture, but I am also a more confident one too!”
2023 CAO participant
Prior to the program, participants rated their confidence communicating about agriculture online and in person as 6.2 and 6.9 out of 10, respectively. Following the program, graduates rated confidence levels as 9.0 for both. Survey respondents unanimously agreed they would recommend the program to others (sign up for 2024 here!). Check out the 2023 impact report to learn more about the program and its overall impact.
Empowering farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians
Animal Ag Allies is a program that empowers farmers, ranchers, veterinarians, and industry professionals to be outspoken advocates for agriculture online and within their communities. In 2023, the Alliance hosted four Animal Ag Allies classes and had 25 participating farmers, ranchers, practicing veterinarians, and industry professionals enrolled in the program. After wrapping up the final class of 2023, the total number of program graduates since the program launched in 2020 is 152. Since then, surveyed participants have rated the overall value of the modules in terms of providing new information and useful resources for future use as a 4.7 out of 5. Most survey participants responded positively about the value of the Allies modules and surveys show overall engagement efforts have increased since completing the training. Read the 2023 impact report to learn more about the program and the impact it’s made. New classes kick off every quarter – apply for the next class today!
As we embark on a new year, we celebrate the success of these two programs and look forward to continuing their impact into 2024! The impact reports for both programs stand as testaments to the true impact they have had in shaping perspectives and helping the animal agriculture community engage with consumers and target audiences.
Interested in supporting these programs in 2024? Reach out to Logan Hall for more information about sponsorship benefits and to become a sponsor!
