Social Media 101: For Agricultural Businesses

Time & Location
Tuesday, Sep. 05
Noon – 1 p.m.
Zoom

About the Event
Join the Gannon University SBDC and the PA SBDC Center of Excellence for a lunch and learn session focused on social media marketing. Kara Riccioni will be presenting on consumer buying trends, the push towards social media marketing, and some best practices to implement as you develop, launch, or increase your social media presence for your ag business. Additionally, hear from Jodi Gauker of Gauker Farms as she discusses what she has learned as she developed an engaged social media following to help promote her product and family farming in SE Pennsylvania.

Jodi Gauker is a Business Development Extension Educator with Penn State Extension. In addition to her role with Penn State, she is the Agriculture Project Director for Chester County Economic Development Council where she directs the AgConnect Industry Partnership, connecting farmers and agribusiness owners with the training, resources, and financing they need to successfully grow their business, and providing opportunities for youth to explore careers in agriculture. With her education at Penn State and Texas A&M Universities and work experience, Jodi brings practical knowledge to her position – she and her husband, Lee, are the 9th generation to continue Gauker Farms in Fleetwood, Berks County. On the weekends, you may find her at a local farmers’ market or teaching 10th generation, Callie, all about life on the farm. Jodi is the Chairwoman of the Berks County Planning Commission, a director of Berks Agricultural Resource Network, PA Farm Link, and PA Beef Council; and a member of Berks Southeast Cattlemen’s Association and Penn State Stockmen’s Club. https://www.facebook.com/GaukerFarms/

Kara grew up on a small livestock farm in Central NJ where her family still raises and markets breeding sheep and freezer lamb, beef, and pork. She was an active member of the local 4H program and competitively showed breeding sheep and market cattle on a national level as a junior. She attended Penn State University and studied Agribusiness Management specializing in Economics with minors in Agronomy and Animal Sciences. Kara received her Master of Science degree in Animal Science focused in Ruminant Nutrition from the University of Kentucky prior to accepting a position as a technical specialist with a regional seed company in Pennsylvania. She completed her Master of Business Administration specializing in Food and Agribusiness at Delaware Valley University before transitioning into her current role as Director of Agricultural Business Development with the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers. At the PA SBDC she focuses her efforts on client business plan development, financial analysis, and agriculture business education. Kara is a member of the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (2020) and an International Farm Transition Network Certified Farm Succession Coordinator (2022). She and her fiancé, Nick, (and their blue heeler pup, Bentley) currently raise and show Simmental cattle for breeding stock and feeder calves and continue to help with both their families’ agricultural businesses and farming operations.

Hosted with the PA SBDC Agriculture Center of Excellence. Sponsored in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture