From mailbox to mobile: Reaching farmers through the right channels

The key to any effective outreach strategy is sending the right messages, on the right channels, at the right time. But with so many ways to communicate, how do you know which one to choose? This was one of many questions Environmental Initiative and Trust in Food™ sought to answer by engaging corn and soy row crop farmers across three states. The answer, as it always is in communications, is to know your audience.  

Turning data into insights

In 2022, our partnership with Trust in Food™ grounded farmer outreach in Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska in data rather than assumptions. We drew on Trust in Food’s Sustainability Readiness Index, a proprietary tool that evaluates a farmer’s values, decision-making style, and perceived barriers to change by combining demographic, geographic, and operational data with psychographic insights. Trust in Food™ identified where producers were on their conservation journey by measuring how much they understood conservation practices, saw value in practice change, and felt capable of making a change.  

With over 500 data points from 50,000 producers, Trust in Food’s analysis helped us build a farmer persona that revealed core motivations like leadership, protection, and legacy. These insights give us practical guidance for communications and engagement strategies. By starting with the data, we were able to select the right channels and tailor our messaging in ways that resonated with farmers’ values and decision-making. 

Using insights to choose communications channels

One of the clearest lessons from our outreach in these three states is that farmers engage most when communications reflect their core values. In this case—legacy, protection, and leadership.  

• Legacy: Producers motivated by legacy responded strongly to print and direct mail—a trusted medium that honored their long-term perspective. 

• Protection: Farmers driven by protection—safeguarding land and operations—preferred straightforward, practical content, such as “Simple Steps Make Sound Economics.” 

• Leadership: Those motivated by leadership valued stories that positioned them as decision-makers for their families and communities. 

This alignment between farmer values and communication choices translated into measurable results. Direct mail generated the most leads, reinforcing its role as a comfortable, credible channel for legacy-minded producers. Articles highlighting real-world farmers who made a conservation agriculture practice change outperformed traditional ads because they resonated with protection-oriented producers wary of promotional messaging. By using farmer personas as a guide, the campaign met producers where they were. 

Don’t be afraid to experiment

Our outreach, which ran from Nov. 2022 – 2023, also included social media advertising. Though we knew our audiences had some affinity for digital communications channels, we were not sure what to expect. Would content at the start of the holiday season take off or fall flat?  

To our surprise, Facebook emerged as an important supporting channel. Engagement spiked during Thanksgiving, rivaling high-performing channels like direct mail. The timing—when farmers were likely at home, off equipment, and on their devices—created an unexpected opportunity for connection.  

This project confirmed that no single channel wins every time. Success comes from aligning channels with farmer motivations and being willing to experiment. Whether it’s a timely Facebook ad, a trusted piece of mail, or a story that speaks directly to a farmer’s experience, the right fit depends on who you’re trying to reach.  

Looking to design farmer outreach in your area? Explore our step-by-step planning tool at reachfarmersfaster.org. There, you’ll find deeper insights from this case study and downloadable worksheets to create your own plan.