Michigan

The numbers are in! As a reminder, Michigan AgrAbility held a live Facebook event on Friday, June 28 at Matt Liebetreu's farm. Matt injured his hand/arm when attempting to free hay in a hay baler. His hand was drawn into the baler, and as a result, he sustained an amputation below the elbow on his right arm. On July 1, the outreach impact of this informative event was:

• The video reached 1,311 people
• Was viewed 582 times
• Page views went up 189% over the previous week
• Post reach went up 194% over the previous week
• Post engagements went up 229% over the previous week
• Gained 8 new followers, up 300% over the previous week
• 50% of the new followers joined the day of the broadcast.

At the end of July, staff updated the data and highlighted some trends:

• The video reached 1,560 people
• Was viewed 689 times
• Most of the viewers (80%) were women ages 35-44. NOTE: not sure how many male farmers have Facebook accounts. It is possible that a male farmer that doesn't have an account watched the video by using the account of a wife or daughter.
• Viewership: 93.1% of the viewers were from Michigan; North Carolina was second with 2.7% (Thank you North Carolina!)
• The day of the video was the single best day for new page followers in 2019
• Post reach numbers have gone up 57% over the previous month
• Post engagements have gone up 103% over the previous month

The live Facebook streaming event (which can be seen here) has definitely positively expanded Michigan AgrAbility's outreach and possible impact in assisting farmers.

Michigan AgrAbility will also be exhibiting at the 4th annual Agro Expo in St. Johns at the AgroLiquid farm on Aug. 13-14. It will be one of more than 100 exhibitors showcasing and demonstrating the latest products and services available in agriculture. The event will also feature numerous educational speakers, in-field experiences, and opportunities to see how new technologies can be incorporated into a management strategy.

Submitted by Deb Chester