The bone chilling temperature reports coming from Saskatchewan and Alberta were brutal this past winter. The tally of frozen items being listed on Facebook posts made our -20 C temperatures seem not too bad. But we had lots of frozen problems to deal with here in Ontario as well.
And yet, there they were. Speckle Park cows facing that weather like they were born to deal with these extremes. Because, really they were! Those thick hair coats and robust characteristics are traits that the earliest SP breeders counted on and developed from.
Somehow, sharing everyday details, like the weather, on Facebook gives us a feeling of community. Everybody is happy to share their first calves of the season, or their new breed purchases, their farm happenings and for sure their family times. When people share their difficulties and how they try to deal with them it gives others the chance to support or encourage them. Especially throughout the past year, social media communities have given connection that has been vital.
Where we find community, on social media, matters! Whether it's our personal pages, or our farm/ranch pages, the CSPA page, the pages of other SP Associations or other farm-related groups. This is where we will return to and where we will get our information, have reasonable discussions, build friendships and most likely make business associations as well. It doesn't really matter how many followers any page or group has, it matters how many people participate actively. Social media communities don't just happen, they need to be built and nurtured. Like every other community we know.
Where do you find the most interesting and relevant "community" on social media?
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