If you don’t live under a rock, you’ve likely heard of or visited Mashable. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no better news bureau for the happenings in the social media realm. Mashable articles rack up scads of retweets and Diggs on a regular basis, and the site’s founder, Pete Cashmore, is a regular contributor to CNN Tech. You should definitely check out his most recent article on 2010′s hottest web trends.

Mashable is currently running its third annual Open Web Awards, honoring the best of the social web. And one nominee is giving the agricultural community – and the larger web community – reason to stand up and take notice. Michele Payn-Knoper (@mpaynknoper), agricultural speaker and founder of #AgChat, is one of the final five nominees for Twitter User of the Year.

It’s a nomination well-earned, and as a frequent voter for her, I’ll be thrilled if Michele wins. Her service within the world of agriculture and her role in better connecting producers with consumers make her a worthy recipient. The weekly streaming Twitter chat, #AgChat (Tuesdays 8-10 p.m. Eastern) and its monthly sibling, #FoodChat (Every second Tuesday, same time) are shining examples of one person’s bright idea enriching the lives of many others. Her Gate to Plate blog is also a great read.

Now, in addition to the chance to honor a deserving member of the ag community, there are a few other things we should all take away from this experience:

1. If you still labor under the misapprehension that farmers, ranchers, et al. don’t care about the online world, you’re dead f*cking wrong.

2. If you’re still doubting the value of social media tools like Twitter and Facebook for personal and professional use, it’s time to take another look.

Voting for the Open Web awards is open until December 13th, and you can cast a vote each and every day until then. With that said, I’d ask you to go ahead and put that Facebook or Twitter login info to good use. Click here and cast your vote for @mpaynknoper for Twitter User of the Year. If you want to see why other folks think Michele is a worthy recipient, check out the links at the end of the post.

This is a genuine chance to do something great in service of the business of growing things – and an opportunity to help a deserving recipient beat out the celebs. Don’t forget to take the time to vote every day between now and December 13th.

Cheers,

jae

Nate J. Taylor – The embodiment of service

Ray Prock – Honoring those that motivate us

Jeff Fowle – Why I support Michele Payn-Knoper for Twitter User of the Year

Janice Person – Twitter User of the Year Nominees Includes #AgChat Founder

Eliz Greene – More Than A Speaker! Why You Should Vote Michele Payn-Knoper Mashable’s Twitter User of the Year

Michele Payn-Knoper – Gate to Plate Blog