Today I heard April Harrington speak on behalf of the Oklahoma Food Coop (OFC). She is currently a producer for the OFC as well as their treasurer. During the question and answer session she was asked how the internet impacts the OFC. First of all, all of the pairing between producers and consumers is coordinated in the online space. And last year alone producers sold $694,000.00 in produce in Oklahoma. Additionally, she explained how social media has impacted the producers.

She told the audience that social media and the online space giver producers a place to tell their story and consumers a place to interact with their farmers. This and interaction between producers and consumers can translate into a fiscal difference.

For example, a few weeks ago Oklahoma was hit by a strong blizzard. Facebook lit up. Consumers were contacting farmers asking how the plastic was holding up on their hoop farms and if the potatoes survived the storm. Both sides really enjoyed talking to one another but the full benefit of the conversation was not seen till a few weeks later. This month the potatoes were $3 a pound instead of $2 a pound that they were the last time the farmers sold potatoes. But the consumers were not outraged and the reason they were okay with the price hike is because they knew that the farmers had to hire extra help to dig out the potatoes that were trapped under 3 feet of snow.

The buyers did not walk away from their farmers. They understood the reason for the price increase. Since the potatoes came from the same region, everyone lived through the same storm and the buyers knew why there was a price increase. When you go to a super market the factors that influence the prices of the products we buy are rarely that clear, which makes it much harder to justify paying more.

Plus, it is harder to walk away from people that you feel like you know. Maybe the potatoes were more expensive but the buyers “know” the sellers and humans by natural are a social species. We support our own.

Take advantage of social media to build relationships with your members, potential members and supporters. Sometimes I think we try to keep to much information inside our organizations. Your supporters and members care about the organization and its mission. Whenever possible trust in your base and include them in the conversation; they may surprise you with their ideas or willingness to help!