Traditional and Organic Farmers
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Characteristics:Are focused on their business and, in the case of organic farmers, on green marketing; have unused resources (roof space, biomass, etc.), which they want to exploit profitably
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Potential role:Prosumers, Investors
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Age:25 to 60 years
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Financial status:little to much money left
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Location:rural areas
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Household size:2 to 6 people
Communication messages
Key messages to reach farmers
While many key messages apply to all target groups, there are also some special key messages that can help you get through to farmers.
✓ Energy communities open up new business opportunities: Use your unexploited resources (roofspace, biomass) to make sustainable profits.
✓ Your investment pays off; you will make a good and sustainable investment.
✓ Improve your image.
✓ Create sustainable jobs in your region and increase purchasing power in your area.
✓ Doing it together works out great. We take a lot of the work off your hands, but you still reap all the benefits.
✓ Energy communities profit from the heterogeneous consumer structure. While private households need most of the energy on evenings and weekends, you may need it on workdays. You can profit from being in a community with different stakeholders (private households, SMEs, etc.).
✓ Be more independent from energy price fluctuations.
✓ [Depending on the image and regulations of agri-PV:] Join the second generation of ecological farming by applying agri-photovoltaics, where the soil is protected by the PV modules. Harvest twice!
Avoid these messages
→ Statements that are too complicated to understand
→ Unclear information about the costs
→ Comments that implicate potential conflicts with neighbours/neighbouring farmers
→ Information that suggests a high expenditure of time and personnel
About farmers
Financial payback versus environmental concerns
Farmers run a business; their investments must be profitable. Investments should therefore be presented as an additional income opportunity. They also have unused resources (roof space, biomass, etc.) from which they can make a profit. On the other hand, they live off the land they cultivate and thus could be motivated by environmental benefits to become active, as long as the investment does not mean a financial loss.
Attitude towards green energy
Organic farmers are naturally interested in green energy and sustainability and wish to contribute if it is financially feasible and profitable. They have knowledge about renewable energies and sustainability. Green energy projects could expand their business (organic products and green energy).
Traditional large-scale farmers strive for high production volumes and sales profits. They are not motivated to change their behaviour; they would rather keep things as they are. Green energy is minor topic for them.
Open versus apprehensive towards new technology
With farmers, the topic of technological open-mindedness is often a question of generations. Both groups usually have basic technological understanding. However, while younger, green farmers tend to be open-minded and used to smart technologies, the older generation tends to be more averse. Here, it is vital to take the fears and concerns regarding new technologies seriously and inform farmers that technical know-how is not necessary in order to participate actively in energy communities.
Community spirit
Contributing to the community is a significant motivator for farmers who sell their produce locally/regionally. These farmers often already have experience with community activities. It can be part of their marketing strategy to take part in community projects.
For industrial-scale farmers, their involvement in community activities is not such an important issue. They see their activity explicitly as a business.
Challenges: Possible reasons for not taking part in energy communities/collective actions
→ Unclear profit advantage
→ No good practice examples in the neighbourhood demonstrating the solid business case
→ Lack of time
Touchpoints: How to come into contact with farmers
How do I reach farmers?
To see how to engage your audience, view our communication activities and white label materials. To inform farmers specifically, these actions may help:
→  Personal outreach
→  Municipal/local newspapers, farmer’s newspapers
→  Presentations
→  Fact sheets
Where do I reach farmers?
→  Farmers‘ meeting point at local pubs
→  Local and regional events (harvest festivals)
→  Events for farmers (like agricultural competitions, fairs with an agricultural focus e.g. regarding machinery)
→  Farmers associations
→ Social media groups of farmers (if available)
→  Training institutes for agriculture
For detailed step-by-step guides on how to get in touch with this target group, see How to reach Prosumers and How to reach Investors.