Social Media (Beginner) Specialist

One afternoon this past August while watering some cabbage & collard plants in the greenhouse at the St. Clair Farmers Co-op in Pell City, I got a call from Jim Allen, Alabama Farmers Cooperative's Director of Public Relations & Advertising. He wanted to hire a Social Media Specialist and someone to host the youth segments on the new television show AFC partnered with ALFA on called, Simply Southern. Sure I have Facebook & Instagram, and what girl doesn't have a Pinterest, but to have business pages for each of these, to promote products and our company with them, it was intimidating.  I didn't take any marketing or journalism classes in school and I certainly didn't take any audio/television classes, my ONE public speaking was as close as it got. But it sounded exciting, and any opportunity to further my knowledge and share our company and industry with everyone else was not something I wanted to turn down.

Once I got the call and made the decision to take the job, the next two weeks were a whirlwind. I was moving 2 hours north, pretty much back where I grew up, home. My parents were thrilled about me being closer to them and let's be honest, I was too. Mom's the best shopping partner and Dad makes the best chili cheese dogs, but on top of that, family dinner is something I took for granted being away and am so happy to be able to drive 15 minutes and catch up with them. I found a place to live, started this job and haven't looked back since.

Be sure to check out AFC's social media sites for more on news, events & products. This is one of the things I'm working on, getting more people here, aware of our company, products and information. We sponsor events across the state, host meetings and informational sessions to stay up to date with the latest technologies and economy and make sure our members and employees know how blessed we are to work beside them striving each year to reach a better overall outcome than the last.

Promoting agriculture in the stereotypes and rumors that have unfortunately become too common in today's conversations isn't easy, but it's something that us as agriculturists, advocates, farmers, ranchers, gardeners and people who have fallen in love with the industry, it's people and way of life continue to do despite the circumstances because it's what keeps us alive. Without the people spending their days plowing fields in the heat of summer or saving calves in the middle of a snow storm, we wouldn't have the luxury of enjoying life and food the way we do.

I'm such a small piece in such a big picture. But being a part of this company, one of the largest farmer-owned agriculture-related businesses in the Southeast, has been such a blessing and something I will always be grateful for.

xoxo
Samantha