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

You know that saying when it rains it pours? Well, it’s never been more apropos.

With economic woes, energy crises, renewable fuel debates, healthcare haggling and climate concerns, it’s not surprising that the importance one of our basest biological needs, water, has been sorely neglected. I’m not immune to the apathy; I was supposed to finish this post more than a week ago.

I guess it makes sense. The price per gallon of water is a pittance compared to what we pay for gasoline or diesel fuel. And for most folks in the U.S. access to water is as simple as turning the tap or spigot. It’s an incredibly important part of our lives completely taken for granted. But just because that’s the way it is doesn’t mean that’s the way it should be.

The U.S. debate about water will be a debate about access and rights. Who has the right to use a certain water source and how can they use it? It’s a tug of war that’s already starting to play out between states and between economic sectors. And the situation is only going to get more severe – because just about every good, service and action has a cost in water. It’s not just showering and brushing teeth. It’s the production, transportation, preparation and sanitation of the food we eat. It’s crucial to production of electricity and manufactured goods. It plays a role in every facet of our biology and our society.

The smart money in agriculture and energy is already looking at ways to make better use of water. Makes sense, as these two sectors are the largest consumers of water, according to a USGS report released in 2000 and updated in 2005. It’s the consumer market that’s lagging.

At O&B, we’re organizing some events to examine our office-wide and individual water use figures. It’s a way to shed light on an emerging issue that will have a profound impact on the markets we serve. And it’s a good way to remind ourselves to appreciate what we have, especially something as fundamental as water, which is a life or death issue for people around the world (See: Lifestraw, the situation in Mexico, MSNBC global shortage predictions, Foreign Policy failed state reporting, this World Bank worksheet).

I’d challenge you all (yes, all ten of you, dear readers) to take a look at the ways in which you use water. I’ll post some helpful links below. If you have suggestions for others, please leave a comment or send them via Twitter.

Water footprint calculator
Water use it wisely
Good magazine
WaterDrop

Cheers,

jae

I’ll admit it. I’ve anthropomorphized a time or two. In any creative profession, it’s an easy fix to ascribe a like mind to an object or creature. It helps make old stories new again or create a more compelling interpersonal narrative where one doesn’t naturally exist (see: Cars, WALL-E, Toy Story, the entire Looney Toons catalogue, the Disney empire, Babe, Charlotte’s Web, California Cheese marketing, Chick-fil-a’s long-running gag and the Honda Fit commercials).

You can see from the list, anthropomorphizing can be helpful. It can be fun. It can be useful.

Most of the things on that list I like, remember and enjoy, save the Disney catalogue. With a younger sister, I watched a crooning Caribbean crab serenade two young lovers one too many times.

But there are a few places where anthropomorphizing shouldn’t be taken lightly. Like the animal welfare debate. For every happy cow, there’s a very unhappy cow nipping at your heels in the Google results.

You see, people are very clever, but our brains are even more clever.

I once took a seminar on Philosophy of the Mind, and we spend a good chunk of time discussing Theory of Mind. Basically, it’s our ability to, by attributing our own self-understanding to another, figure out what he or she may be thinking, what he or she intends to do or what underlying motives the subject may possess. It’s the mechanism that helps you anticipate and respond to questions in a meeting before they’re even asked. It’s what helps us offer helpful advice to a fellow sojourner. It’s the reason you talk to your dog like a baby. It’s the mechanism that allows us to function as a society without coming across as total dullards or feeling as if we have to constantly explain ourselves.

Theory of Mind makes the world work. It’s also what makes it so easy for groups like HSUS to solicit enormous amounts of money with heartstring-tugging ads and so difficult to sell a story of animal care based on sound science. Being a science buff myself, I kinda hate those odds.

By the way, if you’re interested in reading it, you can download the CAST paper from that last link for free. It’s a good read if you’re the type of person who gives a damn about the conclusions of logical, critical minds who study these issues day in and day out.

So maybe it’s a good thing we have a heifer from Wagner farm in North Dakota tweeting her story, following in the footsteps of the first four-legged Twitter star, Sockington.

After all, it should be a hell of a lot easier for good-hearted producers and veterinarians, who spend time around them every day, to write a better story about our anthropomorphized animals than the people with all the bucks but none of the science or experience on their side.

So here’s a call to arms. For all the folks out there with the ability to do so, give a tweet on behalf of your favorite sow, hen, heifer or steer. People want to know what they’re eating, but you have to reach them in a way they’re compelled to pay attention to. All the science in the world doesn’t go half as far as a great narrative that exploits the built-in mechanisms of the brain.

Cheers,

jae

Like anything new, when I bring up Twitter to my clients, I get a lot of sideways glances. Maybe it’s because I look like Hobo Jesus and think operating based on “institutional wisdom” is a contradiction in terms. Or maybe it’s just a healthy skepticism for something that is, for most, largely unproven.

Luckily, I have a few new arrows in my quiver. #IranElection, for instance. In particular, this was the Damascus Road moment for yours truly. Last Friday, sitting in front of my laptop, mesmerized by the wealth of first-hand accounts, photos and video coming my way from Tehran, I realized I was witnessing the world’s newest news bureau. Now couple that with the very public #CNNfail shaming at the same time.

Along with very productive tweetchats like #agchat and a very cohesive community of plugged-in ag professionals crystallizing and growing every day, this is a party that’s not to be missed. It’s a chance for genuine connection and a chance to add and share value. That’s something you can’t achieve with a print ad, a corporate Web site or a shiny TV spot. All those tactics still have an important place in a marketing mix, and they’re great for raising the profile of a product or issue, but when it comes to mobilizing people, engaging people and having a connection to your stakeholders, it’s time to jump into Twitter with both feet.

If you don’t think your audience members are there yet, I have news for you – many are. At the very least, they’re waiting for an invitation. Encourage that direct dialogue, and you’re providing a service to your organization and the people you hope to reach.

For now, Hobo Jesus is going to keep pushing the issue. Because I won’t be happy with my job performance until I start seeing follow notices from some familiar names.

Cheers,

jae

Was it bettering and discussing your profession on Twitter? That’s what the folks at #agchat were doing. This week’s topic was #foodchat, and the discussion was all about food safety.

These producers and professionals came in from chores and postponed family dinners to talk about how to better the food safety situation in America – what works, what doesn’t, how to regulate it and what each of us can do to improve an already good thing. Awesome discussion I hope to take part in again in the future.

If you’re interested, hop onto tweetchat and enter #agchat to take part next Tuesday at 7 ET/8 CT.

Cheers,

jae

Thank you, mice, for helping scientists discover microRNA treatments for liver cancer.

Thank you, sheep, for giving us a better model for understanding neonatal immunology. (PDF)

Thank you, transgenic monkeys, for promising leads in the prevention and treatment of Huntington’s disease.

Thank you, hogs, cattle, chickens, sheep and others, for efficiently feeding our nation and much of the world.

Finally, thank you, researchers and farmers, for responsible management and a commitment to excellence in science and care. For every shortsighted, uninformed or just plain crazy HSUS member, there’s someone out here, like me, who understands and appreciates what you do.

Cheers,

jae