Marketing Missouri Agriculture

OUTdrive Episode 114 with Taylor Tuttle

We believe some of the best agriculturists come from the state of Missouri; not just farmers and ranchers, but bee-keepers, winemakers, orchard owners, and many others, as well. The Missouri Grown program was established to share the stories and the farm-to-table experiences available to rural and urban communities statewide. As a farm kid turned Missouri Grown program manager, Taylor Tuttle has a passion for educating Missourians on all things agriculture, including the crops and value-added goods produced right here in our backyard.

Missouri Grown is a program in the Ag Business Development Division at the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Prior to her role as program manager, Taylor Tuttle served as a marketing specialist for Missouri Grown. Before that, she spent five years as the director of education and marketing for the Missouri Beef Industry Council. Taylor has a life-long passion for farming and was involved in Future Farmers of America at Tipton. She became a state officer after graduating high school and earned her honorary FFA degree in 2019. Taylor received both her Bachelor’s in Agricultural Education and Master’s of Public Affairs from the University of Missouri.

The Missouri State Fair has an important role in the success of the Missouri Grown program. Tune into this week’s episode to learn more about the relationship between Missouri Grown and the Missouri State Fair, where to find Missouri Grown products, and Taylor’s key lesson to marketing in agriculture.

SHOW NOTES

• 2:00 – Taylor shares her background in agriculture and how it defined her career path
• 4:50 – Taylor outlines the Missouri Grown program and the diversity of its components
• 7:15 – Taylor describes how to become a Missouri Grown member
• 9:00 – Cliff and Taylor discuss the role of Missouri Grown at the Missouri State Fair through the Missouri Grown Market and the AgVenture educational area
• 10:45 – Taylor explains how Missouri Grown selects the products and vendors that are part of the market each fair
• 11:45 – Taylor shares how the Missouri State Fair impacts the Missouri Grown program and the educational outreach opportunity it provides
• 14:40 – Taylor talks about her favorite part of the Missouri State Fair
• 15:30 – Some of the ways people can support Missouri Grown outside of the fair
• 16:30 – Taylor describes what her typical day outside of the fair looks like as the program manager
• 18:45 – Taylor shares what she has learned about marketing and connecting with consumers in her role
• 21:00 – How Taylor describes the people of rural America
• 22:00 – Taylor outlines FFA and 4-H and the positive impact those programs can have on school-age kids
• 23:45 – Taylor shares examples of Agritourism Missourians can take advantage of now and in the upcoming fall and winter seasons
• 24:45 – Taylor shares the Farmers’ Market component that Missouri Grown supports and the opportunities available for market managers and vendors
• 26:45 – Taylor shares some closing thoughts on the Missouri State Fair, Missouri Grown and Missouri agriculture as a whole