The PR Challenge: A Career in Farming
When it comes to identifying sexy and exciting careers for young people, production farming is rarely high on anyone's list. This disinterest challenges Bruce McAbee to spend
a great deal of his time promoting agriculture as a career goal.
McAbee is president and CEO of Farm Credit of New Mexico. As part of the Farm Credit System, McAbee's organization provides financial services for agricultural and
rural housing within his state. While New Mexico is one of the relatively few states where family-owned farms are still thriving and driving a significant part of the state
economy, McAbee is prescient enough to realize a future generation needs to be in place in order for this economic sector to continue. Thus, he and his team are constantly front-
and-center to talk up farming as a career path.
"We are at virtually every agricultural event in the state," he says. "We're at most county and state fairs, and we're speaking to classrooms on subjects ranging from
budgeting and financial statement analysis to talking about agriculture and what it means."
Education is a primary target for Farm Credit of New Mexico's PR push, particularly at a college level. Last December, as part of its efforts to enourage college studies in
agriculture, McAbee and his board created a $250,000 scholarship for its customers' children and grandchildren who wish to study at New Mexico State University.
"This adds value to our customer base," explains McAbee, who notes the first scholarships will be awarded for this fall's semester. "This also gives our customers another
reason for doing business with us."
For existing customers, McAbee hosts annual statewide meetings of young farmers and ranchers, who receive all-expenses-paid trips to Albuquerque for educational seminars (with
a bit of night-on-the-town fun added for good measure).
Furthermore, McAbee has tried to foster goodwill among his customers by relaxing his lending standards. "This puts more money in the hands of young farmers and ranchers," he
says.
McAbee prefers person-to-person PR rather than traditional outreach via the media. To date, he's done a few newspaper and radio interviews, but he's not done TV news
interviews and does not actively seek exposure there.
For McAbee, the traditional media push doesn't serve Farm Credit New Mexico's purposes as well as person-to-person communications with his existing and potential customers.
"Ours is a relation business," he explains. "We do better dealing with people."
CONTACT: Bruce McAbee, 800.451.5997.