Social media: A Fad or the Future?

Social media like Facebook, Blogs, YouTube, Twitter....are quickly becoming more than a place to hangout, chat with friends and family and see the latest music video. For example with the introduction of "groups" on Facebook there is the opportunity to create engaging educational and informative conversations with others who share your interests or profession.

• Engaging clientele - social media tools are fun and interactive
• No longer need to be a techie to build a webpage with Web 2.0

• Clientele already use the web - social media gives new methods for sharing research and information:
• Blogs useful for posting new diseases, insects or pest outbreaks
• RSS Feeds can be used to recieve a steady stream of information on markets
• Twitter can quickly disseminate and call people to action

•  Not going away but is increasing - it is not a fad, add your voice, create a presence. 

Know that the only constant is change and using web based tools will insure that change will happen faster than ever. Fifteen years ago, I didn't even have an email account. Four years I joined Facebook to keep in touch with my younger friends. Now I can create a photo web page and a blog  without knowing anything about html or programming!

Wheat marketing meeting, Oct. 21- TOMORROW

Darren Padget, OWGL President and Dan Steiner, Marketing Committee Co-Chair, have announced the Statewide Wheat Marketing Meeting will be held via Polycom Thursday, October 21^st at 8:00 am pacific.

Special guest this month is Chris Mertz, Oregon Agri-statistician.

Should you have any questions, please contact the OWGL office at 541-276-7330 

Participating Sites:

• OSU/Baker County Extension Service 541-523-6418,  2600 East St, Baker City, OR

• OSU/Central OR Ag Research Center 541-475-7107,850 NW Dogwood Lane, Madras, OR

• OSU Columbia County Extension Service – 503-397-3462,505 N Columbia River Hwy, St. Helens, OR

• OSU/Gilliam County Extension Service Conference Room – 541-384-2271,333 South Main Street, Condon, OR

• Gilliam County Grain Quality Lab Conference Room - 541-454-0227,Industrial Park, Arlington, OR

• OSU/Klamath County Experiment Station 541-883-4590, 6941 Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, OR

• OSU/Malheur County Extension Service – 541-881-1417, 710 SW 5th Ave., Ontario, OR

• OSU/Marion County Extension Service – 503-373-3756,3180 Center St., NE, #1361, Salem, OR

• OSU/Morrow County Extension Service Conference Room – 541-676-9642,54173 Hwy 74, Heppner, OR

• Oregon Wheat Commission, Albers Mill Bldg 503-229-6665,1200 NW Naito Pkwy, Ste 370, Portland, OR

• OSU/Sherman County Extension Service 541-565-3230,409 Hood St, Moro, OR

• OSU/Umatilla County Extension Service 541-278-5403,Conference Rm. 100 A - Umatilla Hall, BMCC Campus, Pendleton, OR

• OSU/Union County Extension Service - Agricultural Service Center – 541-963-1010,10507 N. McAlister Road, Room 9, La Grande, OR

• OSU/Wallowa County Extension Service - 541-426-3143, 668 NW 1st, Enterprise, OR

• OSU/Wasco County Extension Service - 541-296-5494,400 E Scenic Dr, Ste 2.278, The Dalles, OR

• OSU/Washington County Extension Service 503-821-1127,18640 NW Walker Rd, #1400, Beaverton, OR 97128

Provided by the Oregon Wheat Growers League,
Oregon State University and Blue Mountain Community College