This past Wednesday Michele Walfred gave us a lecture that I found very interesting. It was about social media, employers, and setting yourself up for success. She emphasized the importance of self-branding throughout her presentation. At the beginning of the power point she went through the logos of numerous brands and told us to say what was the first thing that came to mind. For the BMW logo people thought luxury, expensive, and fast. The John Deere logo received thoughts like dependable, tough, and work horse. The Craftsman tool logo was thought of as high quality and precise. After a few more logos we were shown pictures of people and quotes off of Facebook. The pictures were selfies, pictures from parties and bath room selfies. The quotes included people complaining about their jobs. Ms. Michele explained that when companies are going through the hiring process they are looking up the applicants and looking for more than good workers. They are looking for people who can represent them well. These photos and quotes would be negative towards the posters personal brand. It would brand them as party animals, trouble makers, poor literacy, and not great under stress. These are things companies do not want to represent them. The main idea taken away from this lecture was to be smart on social media and to think about your personal brand. Market yourself so that you are competitive on the job market and companies want you to represent them.
Category Archives: Ag Literacy & Social Media
Michele Walfred and Social Media Today
In today’s world, image is everything. With social media trending and encompassing every aspect of our lives, it’s important to be mindful of what we post and how we portray ourselves. This was the overlying theme of Michele Walfred’s lecture about presence, and building a professional persona or “brand”. She walked us through vital information that will help us as we work our way through college, landing internships and eventually jobs in the workforce. She described building yourself up in the same way as a brand or company; what do people think when they see you? She explained key ideas to using social media to build our brand in a positive way, such as having a professional twitter page, which is trending particularly in the agricultural industry. She broke down the dos and do nots, emphasizing professional pictures, proper language, and to stay away from political banter. In the end, she came full circle and explained how to agvocate successfully. She showed us how to avoid fake news, how to express the facts in a professional manner, and how to create a positive brand for agriculture as well as ourselves. Ms. Michele’s lecture was a necessary one that impacted me greatly; given her background and well-rounded experience, I will be sure to hold onto her advice as I begin my journey through college and eventually into the workforce.
Social Media in Today’s Ag – Michele Walfred
It was very cool to listen to Michele guest lecture about her path to where she is now, and how she has used social media/branding to get there. It was very intriguing to hear how she went from having no agriculture background at all, to now being such a crucial part of agvocay. I learned a lot about how to conduct yourself on social media for branding and professional purposes, rather then a true social interactions with your friends. As I learned, Michele is such a good example of that as she has been able to be apart of many events due to her presence on social media in the agricultural world. On the other hand, I was not surprised that educating consumers about agricultural is a crucial part of being on social media. I am always surprised by the amount of “fake news” out there about agriculture, and this was something Michele touched on as well. Overall, it was super beneficial to listen to information like this as a college student who is planning on being involved in agriculture post-graduation, specifically a farmer. Social media is such a beneficial form of communication if used correctly.
Michele Walfred and Social Media
Recently, Michele Walfred gave a lecture about the positive and negative aspects of social media usage. Technology today is different than what it used to be 40 years ago. Having a Facebook and/or Instagram may be great to help your business grow or even get your name out there but what you post can affect interviews with future employers. One major thing that Michele talked about was watch what you post on social media. What you may think is funny at that moment can come back around and bite you. Kids today post whatever they want not knowing the consequences of their actions. There will be times when you go to a apply for a job that you may have more experience than the other candidates do, but when and if the employer searches for you online and finds a picture of you passed from drinking or something you said that they don’t agree with then they won’t hire you because it will fall back on them. Having a personal social media account is good but keep it at a certain level of professionalism. For instance, try and stay away from political posts because your view point may be different than the employers. Finally, social media is a good way to connect with people all over. But sometimes we get too caught up in the electronic world that we forget how to communicate face to face. When you connect in person it shows the other person you are interested and that you may have some similarities, its more personal.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly about Food Labeling
Food Labeling has been a hot topic in recent years, with extremists and protestors on either side of argument. Neither side ever seems to want to listen to the other, and this leads to distrust and miscommunication. Food labeling sounds like a simple request- label what ingredients are in our food, so that we can make a conscious decision about our food choices and health outcomes. Food labeling can also aid those who have allergies or specific food regulations and restrictions. However, food labeling can be destructive and have negative impacts on farmers and the food industry as a whole. Because of the recent craze regarding GMOs, and organic food products, food labeling unnecessarily can mislead consumers and cost farmers money. Because there is controversy about GMOs, and a lack of education and understanding of them by the general public, food marketers and behavioral psychologists can use GMOs and their “buzz” to sway consumers into buying certain products over others. Something labeled GMO free, does not mean that something without a label has GMOs in it. This misguidance leads to not only uneducated decisions, but economically irresponsible decisions. Only 2% of the population are farmers, and if they cannot provide for their family, the entire agricultural system can collapse.
To Label or Not to Label?
Food labeling is something that is necessary and helpful in many situations, such as allergies or sensitivities. However, labels have been used as a sort of propaganda, in that if one label mentions being “_______-free,” the competing product is therefore implied to contain whatever this blank may be (gluten, sugar, steroids/hormones, GMOs, etc). It is important for products to be properly labeled, and I do believe that the public has the right to know what is in the products they are consuming, however there should be limitations. Certain items simply cannot contain gluten, or maybe dairy, and therefore labeling them this way should not be able to be used as a competitive marketing technique.
Consumers recently have become more interested in what their food contains more than ever before, which is good in that society wants to be healthier. However, in order for labels, especially GMO labels, to be beneficial to both society and the industry, education of the public is necessary. GMOs are an agricultural technological tool that have allowed agriculture to excel, and should not be demonized due to misunderstanding. I imagine that because of society’s insistence on labeling, companies will be pushed into GMO labeling in the close future. If so, I think it would be helpful to include educational information on the packaging as well, in hopes that the public will be more open when given more information.
Regardless of the laws placed on labeling, further education about GMOs is still necessary for people to get both sides of the story, and to fully understand what exactly is being offered to them so they can make an educated decision.
LABELING: What’s in my food?
The discussion of what to and what not to label is very controversial. There are many positive and negatives about labeling to the farmers, the public and the businesses.
As a fourth generation farmer myself, I believe that labeling promotes and hurts the agriculture industry. It hurts our industry by making consumers believe that without the label, it is not qualified. For example by adding a label that says “no added hormones” on a chicken breast, people believe that some c
commercially grown birds have hormones added in them. But since 1960’s the Food and Drug Administration put a regulation on the industry and we have not been able to use hormones on any bird commercially raised since then. Yet, the positive is that labeling allows farmers to be transparent in their practices.
For the public, labeling positively impacts them by allowing them to know what is in their food. It also helps with those who have allergies because they know what to avoid without having to do research themselves. But negatively the consumers are hurt because they are misguided with the labels. An example is have gluten free water or non-GMO bacon. Both of these obviously cannot contain that ingredient, but our consumers are uneducated about where their food comes from and what it takes to produce that product.
Some businesses truly take advantage of labeling. They know that the public is interested in being healthy, local, fresh, and much more. Therefore, they over label their item to grab the consumer’s attention, and once that consumer buys their product once, they typically will keep buying it. However, labeling restrictions that people are encouraging, such a labeling GMO or non-GMO on everything produced will hurt an industry. This will hurt them by billions of dollars, simply by the packaging.
I personally believe that labeling may be necessary for some labels, but I believe over labeling should be illegal as it is a marketing gimmick to consumers. With that in mind, I believe consumers should be required to take an agriculture class and learn more about their food, therefore they can be aware about what contains gluten and GMO’s for example as well as the practices farmers do to grow a safe and sustainable product.
Guest Lecture: Michele Walfred
I enjoyed Michele’s guest lecture about social media. At first, I was somewhat skeptical because of how she talked down social media. She explained how people use it to update others about their day-to-day lives and actions, and how it is somewhat overkill. However, I think that is what the entire platform of social media is for. It is to stay connected to those who you cannot talk to every day face to face. However, I thoroughly enjoyed where the lecture went! Michelle explained how you can utilize social media in a positive light. She said how you can use it professionally, and how you can shine light on common misconceptions, and fake news. You can use your social media accounts for more then just every day updates; you can use it to educate those who do not have access to university information and knowledge. Education is the first step for change. There is so much fake news and science nonbelievers especially in the realm of agriculture. Instead of complaining or being unprofessional on social media when addressing these issues, you can use your platform to educate those and provide credible resources with real science and news. Social media can be positive, it just depends on how you decide to use it!
Making Social Media Work for Agriculture, your Career and Brand
Michele Walfred, one of the professors for this course, gave a lecture about social media. In an ag class??? Yes! We learned a lot of important information about self-branding that will really help with our careers in the future, and some background information about social media platforms in general. We were given some examples about posts that would look bad when a future employer looked you up, and how to have a professional profile. My favorite part was when it came to teaching us how to AGvocate. I have been told about this before, having taken many agriculture classes, but it was especially important in the context of social media. Most fake news about agriculture is seen on social media, so being able to respond responsibly to it and give people our side of the story will really help in opening the world’s eyes to how important agriculture really is.
Guest Lecture: Michele Walfred
On September 13th, our class received a guest lecture from Michele Walfred about social media and creating our brand. In today’s age where everything and everyone is online, social media is becoming increasingly more important. Many businesses have social media accounts, and will do background check on a potential employee’s social media profiles before making hiring decisions. For example, if you often post on your Facebook about how much you dislike your job, your coworkers, etc., many employers are going to be less likely to hire you because it comes off as unprofessional. Some of the most important things you can do to build and maintain your personal brand are to be consistent (consistent pictures, descriptions, contact information, etc.), staying professional with good oral and written communication skills, having a professional e-mail address, and to always keep in mind that people you interact with, either professionally or personally, can see what you do online and can form judgements based on that information. It is also important to do your “due diligence,” in fact-checking articles before posting them, avoiding drama, thinking before you send, and various other actions. Lastly, and what I think is most important, is always taking an opportunity to teach someone. Whether someone has misperceptions about agricultural practices, are sharing false information, or just giving general information to someone who isn’t as knowledgeable about a subject as you are, teaching others is one of the most impactful things you can do in your life.
Social Media
Today’s society depends on and uses technology, especially social media, more than ever before. Some may say even especially in college students. I can admit that I am guilty of sometimes being too wrapped up in my phone and social sites. Therefore, I appreciated Mrs. Walfred’s lecture about social media and its potentially effects on our careers and futures in general. The ease and efficiency of having everything at our fingertips, and being able to post in the blink of an eye makes it simple to upload or post without thoroughly thinking through what the post may actually say about ourselves. Through social media, we create a brand for ourselves that speaks about our ideas, morals, and values before we may even get a chance to say a word. Thanks to Mrs. Walfred’s lecture, the rumors of potential employers checking my social media sites have been confirmed, and I know to keep everything connected to my real, full name professional and consistent. Additionally, which I was unaware of, it is possible to rebuild your brand! Of course when we are younger, the future seems like lightyears away, and we may not consider employers when we are posting a crazy story or picture. However, through blogging, educated commenting, and editing of privacy settings, we can rebuild ourselves online to be the great employee we know we are. Mrs. Walfred’s lecture was helpful and informative, especially at this stage in my life, and I think more college students or even high school students should be made aware of their image.
UD WEBB Farm Field Trip
Saturday’s field trip to Ud’s WEBB Farm was incredibly educational. I learned so much about my University that I did not know about after attending school here for three years. I had heard of Webb Farm before, but I had never been there before. I did not know that we had horses! I am very appreciative of the experience, even though it was a chilly day. I enjoyed seeing the baby cows, and learning about the AG technology that UD utilizes with their dairy cows. I did not realize how technologically advanced our farm is. I loved seeing where the cows get milked, and how the technology identifies each individual cow, and records all of their data automatically. I also was intrigued by the cows feeding system, and how they are trained to go to the same feeder every day. In addition to the dairy cows, we got to learn a lot about how UD maintains their chickens, horses, sheep, and beef cows. We learned a lot of very honest information in regards to farm management, and the challenges that technologic advances can present. We even were given access to view the compost section of the Farm, even though it is not as well developed as they would have liked it to be. As I was taking in the fall colors and scenery on the way to Webb Farm, we were informed that the trees we saw were all planted as a buffer. They are almost all native, and provide a variety of environmental benefits to the landscape surrounding the research farm. I was very happy to hear that, and it gave me a deeper appreciation of the landscape, knowing it’s impact on the environment! 
Webb Farm Field Trip
During the field trip the farm superintendent of University of Delaware, Scott Hopkins, gave the class a tour of the agricultural field’s mechanical devices, identified the poultry houses and how they are used for research, demonstrated another form of research students focus on for dairy cows regarding a controlled ration being fed, explained the high tunnel and it’s purposes in operating as organic even though it is not verified organic, etc…Additionally when we rode the bus to Webb Farm, the research farm for UD students, Mr. Hopkins took us into the equine building and we briefly discussed how the mares could easily stop giving birth if there was the slightest disturbance during this time such as a student talking while waiting. I personally enjoyed the part of the tour where Scott picked up a handful of the ration being fed to the dairy cattle in controlled research classes because it smelled nice- I believe the ration was a cut up hay forage. Next we moved on to the sheep which I felt was the coolest part of the research farm because I’ve taken classes and learned about equine, poultry, beef and dairy cattle, but learned very little about sheep over my time at UD. During this part of the field trip, Mr. Hopkins talked about the male sheep having a device attached to his body that would spray paint on the back end of the females he would mount in order to check if the population was successfully impregnated. I found this interesting because he would change the color of the paint after a number of days which demonstrated if the first round of sperm was a hit or miss- if the first round impregnated the sheep, it would not have the new paint color demonstrating that the first attempt did not work.
Next we looked at the black Angus beef cattle in which Mr. Hopkins talked about the factors that come into consideration when he decides whether or not to cull a cow. For instance, if a cow decides it no longer wanted to mother a calf, he would remind this cow of it’s protective instinct to protect the cow, as a second chance before considering culling. Also, he briefly mentioned why the bulls were castrated before slaughter and why this was important for a consumer point of view. The reason being that a bull produces testosterone and when the bull is being slaughtered for it’s meat, the stress is shown in the meat because testosterone is produced which causes the color of the meat to turn into a dark blood red color, which is not favorable to consumers when they purchase the final product. I also learned that UDairy Creamery sells the meat that was raised on Webb farm, which is pretty cool because consumers of this generation care about factors such as how their food was raised by the farmer and what went into the process of making their product. Overall, this was a fun field trip and I learned a little more about how the animals are raised than I knew before.
Mark Lynas and GMO’s
What do you think of his position? Does he make a case for his change of heart and the way he now views GMOs?
GMO’s will always be a constant controversial topic because of the idea that farmers and corporations are essentially changing the physiology of a plant. When an audience reads about GMO’s, they often form an opinion based on the headline of an article, of the opinions of others, and most of the times these headlines and opinions are extremely misleading. To fully form an opinion, whether that be for or against GMO’s, the reader must become informed through different scientifically based arguments. Mark Lynas explains that before he changed his opinion on GMO’s, he found himself constantly defending himself using scientific arguments for other types of controversial subjects. He realized that if he was backing up his arguments with scientific data, why wasn’t he doing that with GMO’s. He developed his opinion because of the preconceived idea that all corporations are lying, scheming, money hungry entities that only look out for themselves. After realizing that he may not be correct in the way he formed his opinion, he decided to research and look at the scientific data. His initial belief was that GMO’s required more pesticide and insecticide, however, he realized that because many GMO’s such as pest-resistance cotton and maize actually require little to no pesticide. He realized that most of his arguments had no basis and he once he realized the facts, he changed his opinion drastically. Once he changed his opinion, he was then able to argue with facts instead of baseless statements. His current position is what I believe to be correct. GMO’s are essential in developing countries. GMO’s allow small farmers to create bigger yields with a small input and help feed rural villages. Without GMO’s, many under-developed countries would struggle to feed their community members.
Conflicted about Mark Lynas
I am 100% for the use of GMOs. In my last 4 semesters here at UD, I have used this topic for research papers, speeches, and even made my own website about them. I love when he says that he was foolish for being anti-GMO just because they were supported by a big corporation. I feel as though this is why most people are against GMO, and they do not know enough about them to support that opinion. I feel as though he definitely makes a successful case for his change of heart for the way he now views GMOs.
The conflict I feel comes from when I forwarded this video to my dad, who feels very strongly against GMOs. Throughout my experience in the Plant Science major, I have learned a lot about the benefits and technology that goes into genetically modifying crops. He on the other hand, is having a harder time believing me. When I sent him this video, he was a little upset with me that I did not do my research about who Mark Lynas was, and he shared with me what he found. When he looked Lynas up, he found articles about his positions on nuclear power and global warming, with nothing about the anti-GM movement, which is very interesting, seeing as though he claimed being a leader of it. He also found a list of 10 people to be an “ambassador” for this campaign to better the image of GM crops in society’s mind, Mark Lynas being on it. This was just a little weird, and I appreciated my dad sharing this with me. All in all, I loved seeing a video of someone saying how they regret being on the other side of an argument I feel very strongly about.