Event Promotional Package

Ben Brown*¹, , Griffith, M.*², , Zoller, C*³,
¹ Manager, Farm Management Program, , Columbus, OH, 43210
² Extension Educator, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, London, OH, 43140
³ Associate Professor & Extension Educator, ANR, Ohio State University Extension Tuscarawas County, New Philadelphia, OH, 44663

Ohio State University Extension partnered with the USDA Farm Service Agency in Ohio to provide a series of educational programs to help producers make informed decisions related to enrollment in commodity programs authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill. The objective of this promotional package was to raise awareness of upcoming Extension programs held throughout the state of Ohio as well as resources available to clientele seeking to learn about the Farm Bill on OSU Extension’s Farm Bill webpage.

The promotional package included a press release, a flyer, and a postcard that were available to all Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension professionals throughout the state to advertise upcoming programs and identifed the Farm Bill webpage as a resource for clientele. Each item can be customized to promote local educational programs. The promotional material was used by ANR educators throughout the state to promote Farm Bill Programs for crop producers. Over 143 meetings were hosted through the state and many utilized the flyer, postcard, and/or press release. Programs were attended by over 6,000 total participants throughout the state.

The press release was distributed to media sources throughout the state and was published in several local newspapers, as well as some larger agricultural media sources in Ohio. For example, Ohio’s Country Journal which has a circulation of over 19,000 published the press release twice – once in November, 2019 and again in January, 2020. Following distribution of the press release, the Ohio Farm Bureau recorded two YouTube videos featuring Extension professionals to advertise the Farm Bill programs which have achieved over 4,000 total views. Ohio’s Country Journal also recorded a video interview with Ben Brown about Farm Bill programming. Additionally, the Agronomy and Farm Management Podcast and the Ohio Farm Bureau Podcast featured stories on OSU’s Farm Bill programming efforts.

Each item in the promotional package features the address for the Farm Bill webpage which includes recorded webinars as well as a decision tool developed by the OSU Extension to estimate projected payments for Farm Bill programs. To date, the webinars have 6,516 views and the tool has 10,440 downloads.