MT Producers on Billboards

Montana Farm Bureau's billboard campaign: A new face for agriculture
By TERRI ADAMS, The Prairie StarWednesday, November 18, 2009 3:52 PM CST


Tired of the negative image being portrayed regarding animal agriculture, the Montana Farm Bureau Federation is fighting back - one billboard at a time.The billboards, with a photo and slogan, are part of a year-long campaign by the MFBF to put a face on agriculture and show that producers really do care for their animals.

The newest billboard was unveiled in Missoula, Mont., on Nov. 9, just in time for the MFBF Convention held there.Using funding provided by the Montana Beef Council, the Montana Farm Bureau Federation has previously posted billboards in Billings, Mont. MFB members have also posted road signs across the state on highways and byways, from Custer to Dillon and from Ronan to Glasgow.

“We're trying to combat the negative image of animal agriculture that has come up in the press lately,” said Sue Ann Streufert, director of member relations at MFBF. “We want people to know we truly care for our animals.”When they received the funding from the Beef Council, the idea to use it for billboards and road signs was already established.

“We do a lot of radio advertising already and we talk about how farmers and ranchers care for the land,” Streufert said. “With this funding we wanted to reach a different market and we wanted to plant visual images in the minds of the people. Seeing something is very different than just hearing a radio ad.”

The MFBF wanted to use photos of real producers working with their own animals. “Honestly, using a professional photograph to take photos never crossed our mind,” she said. Read More

You have probably heard me say in the past even though agriculture can’t compete dollar for dollar with these extremely wealthy, we have something that their money can’t buy. It’s our people in agriculture that are priceless and our friends in Montana are cashing in on it. We absolutely have to keep showing our consumers that there are real farmers and ranchers still out on the land. It sounds crazy to those of us that are out here, but many of those not still connected to the land don’t realize that. They continue to hear that all of agriculture is being run by large corporations and that just isn’t the truth. Congratulations to the farming and ranching families of Montana for their great efforts.