#FoodThanks
Returns for Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving season, people throughout the food system will be using social media to show their thanks for food and raise awareness of agriculture through the AgChat Foundation's #foodthanks campaign. Last year more than 800 people participated in the campaign by blogging, adding the #foodthanks twibbon to their avatar photo and sharing more than 2,000 Twitter posts.
"For many of us, this month is when we take time to give thanks for the food on our tables," says Darin Grimm, president of the AgChat Foundation, a 100% volunteer organization that aims to empower farmers and ranchers to "agvocate" via social media platforms. "The #foodthanks campaign provides tools and inspiration for people to take their personal expressions of gratitude beyond the dinner table to friends, family and followers within their social networks."
Grimm encourages members of the ag and food communities to tweet, post and blog about #foodthanks this month, and especially on Nov. 23, as Thanksgiving becomes top-of-mind for much of the country.
The newly revamped #foodthanks microsite, www.foodthanks.com, offers visitors tips and resources for making their voices heard in the conversation. The site provides greater personalization options, including a larger selection of #foodthanks avatars to choose from. In addition, people can showcase their own personalized #foodthanks avatars in an online gallery.
"Farmers represent less than 2% of the population," says Grimm. "#FoodThanks helps us engage with the other 98% who are not directly involved in agriculture. It's also an opportunity for us to thank the many people involved in getting food from our farms to tables across America."
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