It might have started as a rural project, but Sam Johnston’s ‘Thank a Farmer For Your Next Meal’ has gone global.
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The social media campaign, which shares farming photos to promote the agricultural industry, was created by Johnston and his university mate Jim Honner in July last year.
Thirteen-thousand Instagram followers and 12,000 Facebook likes later, it’s fair to say the campaign has steamed ahead.
“We didn’t really expect it to get this big,” Johnston said.
“We just started out with the idea to promote farmers and it got bigger and bigger.”
Just this month, Johnston and Honner have launched a new website for their campaign, which showcases their photographs and Thank a Farmer For Your Next Meal merchandise.
Production of the merchandise, which includes caps, shirts, stickers, stubby holders and now ‘Budgy Smugglers’, has also been beefed up to meet strong demand across Australia and New Zealand.
The boys have had an increase of photo traffic too, with images being sent from Europe, America, New Zealand and here in Australia.
The success of the project has allowed the social media moguls to boost their sponsorship.
The campaign now sponsors sporting teams and events at the University of Sydney and all of the money raised from the pink stubby holders goes to the McGrath foundation.
In July, Thank A Farmer For Your Next Meal will also be sponsoring Nyngan’s Duck Creek Picnic Races.
Johnston and Honner, who are both currently studying agricultural economics at the University of Sydney, now plan to expand their range of products, work on their branding and developing more of a presence at rural events such as country race meetings.
To visit the new website go to www.thankafarmerforyournextmeal.com.