Trust in American agriculture is eroding. Forty-two percent of Americans surveyed by the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance in August 2011 said they believed the US was heading in the wrong direction in the way food is produced. Consumer concerns grow daily, as media stories of antibiotic “superbugs” and GMO “Frankenfoods” run rampant. And for the first time in history, Americans have tools – from Facebook to Twitter – to share their opinions and ask how food is grown or raised.

Until now, an important voice was left out of the nation’s food production conversation – the voice of farmers and ranchers. So USFRA was launched in 2011 to renew trust in American agriculture and launch a movement that would shift “food wars” into productive dialogue.

Through The Food Dialogues movement, which included luminaries from across the food spectrum, USFRA positioned farmers and ranchers at the forefront. USFRA also empowered thousands of farmers and ranchers to lift their voices, share stories and answer tough questions. And through a robust online strategy, the ultimate digital community for farmers and ranchers engaged consumers and influencers in groundbreaking discussions on food.

Farmers and ranchers now had the confidence, tools and platform to share their stories with millions. Results range from a Facebook community that grew by 120,000 “likes” in just five months – 627% above goal. More importantly, USFRA’s efforts are demonstrating that consumer trust is rising. A fall 2012 survey revealed consumers were 10% more likely to have confidence in American agriculture compared to 2011 results.

Building a movement on a grassroots level, USFRA gave E.A.S.E. training (Engage Acknowledge Share Earn trust) to 5,630 farmers/ranchers, teaching them storytelling skills and how to listen to detractors’ arguments.

USFRA’s portal, www.fooddialogues.com, supplemented the conversation with a one-stop destination, FoodSource, that aggregated information in consumer-friendly language by farmers and ranchers. An SEO/SEM campaign drove visitors to the site.

Next, USFRA created The Food Dialogues – groundbreaking panel events in LA and NY featuring farmers, ranchers and food luminaries. These livestreamed discussions put farmers and ranchers center stage for the first time. Content was posted to FoodDialogues.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

To appeal to new audiences, these events were promoted through partnerships with CBS Sunday Morning and Anderson Live. Lastly, through Facebook, USFRA provided food influencers, consumers and detractors with a platform to discuss food issues with farmers. USFRA built a social media presence through chats led by farmers and ranchers.

USFRA conducted E.A.S.E. trainings across 22 states with 5,630 farmers/ranchers. USFRA’s Facebook community generated 120,000 “likes” in five months, 627% over goal, and Facebook engagement soared to 24%, or 380% over goal. That’s more than Barack Obama and Ellen DeGeneres combined.

FoodDialogues.com has attracted 1MM+ visits while the first-of-its-kind aggregator, FoodSource, has seen 58,800 unique visitors in just six months, 246% over goal. Through robust media partnerships and bold new communications strategies, the USFRA brand has achieved 33 million targeted impressions, 36% over target.

In August 2011 and October 2012, USFRA conducted national surveys asking consumers whether food production in the U.S. was heading in the right direction or off on the wrong track. Consumers were 10% more likely to have confidence in American agriculture in 2012 compared to 2011, demonstrating a positive shift in the opinion of nearly 12 million consumers nationwide over the course of the year.