Research
Authors
First-generation livestock producers are a relatively niche population who have the chance to help address the dwindling numbers of farmers in the United States, while also offering a chance to tell a unique story online. This study sought to understand how being a first-generation livestock producer shaped their experiences and how they were sharing their experiences online. The results of the qualitative interviews found the following results. While many participants were introduced to the industry as youth, they also tended to lack access to the same resources multi-generational operations had, though this allowed for creativity in how they addressed challenges, such as hiring workers. While agricultural production was not something they were born into, working in this area became a piece of their identity, including overlapping with how they want to raise families. As for telling their stories online, the participants exhibited a mix of goals, including trying to balance marketing their products and educating members of the public about livestock production. It is also a way for them to connect with other producers. Notably there is intentionality in their social media use, including choosing outlets for specific purposes and trying to cultivate certain types of followers. Those working with first-generational agriculturalists should be aware of different needs from other producers, especially in terms of access to material and social resources in the industry. Future research could expand the scope of this research by assessing different types of operations and doing quantitative studies to address generalizability.
Keywords: livestock producers, social identity, social capital
How to Cite: Bowen, B. , Settle, Q. & King, A. E. (2026) “First-Generation Livestock Producers' Experiences Starting Operations and Sharing Their Stories Online”, Journal of Applied Communications. 110(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/jac.20878
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