Table Talk: Be Impactful with Promotional Events
Shortly after joining Farm Bureau, I became involved in my local Promotion and Education Committee in Eau Claire County. I have a huge passion for agriculture, and I enjoy sharing my story about growing up on a dairy farm in western Wisconsin. Little did I know how my Farm Bureau membership would give me the tools and resources that I needed to become more involved in my community.
Setting Goals: 
As a member of the State Promotion and Education Committee we discuss our goals for the year. One of the objectives for 2024 was to connect consumers with agriculture. During a committee planning session we discussed Gather Wisconsin, Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s online consumer resource, and the tie between food, farming and family.
I knew it was time to implement an idea that we had been tossing around within our county for a few years. With short notice I made a few phone calls and got started planning “Beef Night Out.”
I contacted my good friends that had recently taken over the local locker plant in Augusta, Off the Rail Meats. The goal was to celebrate May Beef Month with an open house at the locker plant. They thought that it was a great idea and were excited to help.
Getting Started:
With the location and date set we got right to work. We teamed up with Augusta FFA Alumni, Eau Claire Dairy Promotion and Bush’s Beans as sponsors. We asked for help, sponsorship and donations from our local counterparts and businesses. We planned the meal, projected the cost and set our goal to have 200 in attendance. The event was promoted primarily on Facebook and some printed materials around town. We scheduled an interview with our local TV Station WQOW-18 at daybreak to invite people to come out. Local beef farmers were asked to attend to talk about their farms.
Implementing An Event: 
The goal for this event was to invite folks from our community out for a delicious beef meal. It was also our plan to use this as an opportunity to connect the consumer directly with the farmers that produced the beef and showcase the local locker plant that processed the beef. Those in attendance had a great meal, the opportunity to visit with the local beef producers and a tour of Off the Rail Meats. Not only did we connect food, farming and family we exceeded our goal with 300 in attendance at “Beef Night Out.” It was a great time promoting agriculture in our community.
I encourage you to continue to grow Promotion and Education in your community. Start out small and work together to make plans for an event in your area. Make sure to keep things simple and have fun. It is up to all of us to continue to share our stories and to teach others about agriculture.
More information about Gather Wisconsin can be found at gatherwisconsin.com.
Brenda Dowiasch serves as the District 4 Representative and state chair on the WFBF Promotion and Education Committee. She has a lifelong passion for agriculture, which began from an early age growing up on her family’s dairy farm in western Wisconsin. Today, Brenda enjoys talking about crops, cattle and farming while working with her customers in central Wisconsin as an ag leader.
The Promotion and Education Committee is a dynamic group of Farm Bureau leaders who develop, implement and promote programs that build agricultural awareness and provide leadership development to the agricultural community.
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