SOCIAL networking has reached into many facets of society to better connect people and products and boost knowledge and understanding.
At the same time, farmers have been facing a renewed struggle to educate the country about where and how its food and fibre is produced.
A new initiative is harnessing the wider access to social media made possible by advanced technology to improve social connections across the geographic, vocational and lifestyle divides to better-inform the country.
The new program, Ask an Aussie Farmer, allows farmers from around the country to respond to Facebook, Twitter and email questions from people wanting information "straight from the horse's mouth".
The voluntary initiative involves farmers and graziers from all over the country and is designed to provide consumers with a place to have their questions about food and fibre production answered by the very people who are involved in it it.
Ask an Aussie Farmer spokeswoman Kylie Stretton said the idea was developed in response to an increasing community hunger for more information about how food and fibre was produced.
"In generations gone by, everyone had a country cousin, someone you'd go to visit on holidays," she said.
"But that doesn't happen so much today and many Australians haven't had the chance to get out on the farm."
Ms Stretton said the initiative aims to increase Australians' general awareness of how food and fibre is produced and to ensure that present and future generations understand the important issues affecting the sector.
Since its inception on March 18, the page has attracted almost 1100 "Likes" from the Facebook community and has opened up a platform for a range of discussions.
It is also running regular cover photo competitions which have attracted many entries including the images on this page.
A recent post asked the question, "What's the weirdest way you've heard how to pick a bull?" Some ideas included basing the assessment on how shiny the beast's bum was.
Ask an Aussie Farmer went further and asked people how they picked anything; what qualities they looked for when purchasing bulls, rams, goats, bees and more.
One person wrote that they "look from the ground up" when purchasing cattle, assessing a beast solely on its feet, while another said pedigree, conformation of the animal, and colour of testicles were all important factors.
Visitors were also asked to answer a Twitter question asking for information on pearl meat, where it was popular, and how to cook it.
Information on remote schooling since the 1940s facilitated through Schools of the Air or Schools of Distance Education was also provided through a link on the page.
To draw attention to Australia's varied agricultural industries including cropping and vegetable production, Ms Stretton started a potato fact and photo section.
She claimed potatoes were Australia's biggest vegetable crop, accounting for more than a third of vegetable production.
"On average, a person will eat over 60kg of potatoes a year. Wonder how many are consumed as hot chips at the footy," she wrote.
While the page is structured in an open format, the Ask an Aussie Farmer page is not an outlet for political attacks.
A notice was posted recently for members: "It seems some misunderstand the purpose of this page. It is not the right forum for the promotion of Ban Live Export views. There are numerous other forums on which this can be done. This page is for all farmers and consumers to ask and answer questions posed to them.
"You can ask specific questions related to Live Export, but that is not what has happened with a recent post.
"If you have specific concerns relating to the performance of politicians we suggest you contact them or your local member.
"We ask that everyone respect this page. The paddock rules and its aims and the members.
"If you cannot, you will be removed".
* Ask an Aussie Farmer can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/askanaussiefarmer , Twitter @AAAFarmer or by email at askanaussiefarmer@gmail.com
