In years gone by, extension officers and agronomists had time and flexibility to meet one-on-one with land managers to help them understand sustainable agriculture and how to change their farming practices to impact country as well as the bottom line.

These days, we’ve lost most of our extension officers and those that are left are expected to cover enormous territories, with dwindling resources and time at a premium.

And that’s where social media comes in.

At a training workshop held this month in Emerald, in Central Queensland, Wombat Creative’s Samantha Morris worked with 10 people at the coalface, supporting land managers, community groups and communities to adopt better land management practices.

The workshop, held as part of Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Reef Extension and Capacity Building project, focussed on how people can use social media for a sustainable agriculture, and ultimately Reef water quality outcome.

Nothing can replace face-to-face engagement or traditional extension. But social media can certainly help people build trust and increase knowledge before they find themselves in workshops, field days or other community-building events.

At the workshop, participants were guided through a nine-step process for using social media to achieve their goals. And it seems the steps struck a chord with 100% positive feedback received at the end of the day.

“The insights and strategies we gained will be invaluable in enhancing our engagement and communications with producers,” one participant said.

“The training was practical, well-structured and tailored to our specific needs, equipping us with the tools and confidence to deliver clear, consistent messaging across social media platforms.”

Samantha Morris, who delivered the workshop, said regional and rural communities are already creating innovative social media content and that the training helps them hone their skills and ensure their efforts achieve big goals for local economies and the environment.

“People living in regional communities are always early adopters,” she said. “They’re innovative and forward-looking.”

“It makes sense that they’re eager to ensure their digital and social media efforts really hit the mark,” she said.

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Wombat Creative delivers grant writing, social media, volunteer engagement and communication training to communities of all shapes and sizes, with a particular passion for rural, regional and remote Australia. To find out more, drop us a line.