He offers the following tips.

Blend tradition with progress. 

At R.A. Brown Ranch, tradition runs deep — but Brown said it should guide decisions, not limit them. 

“We love tradition,” he said. “But sometimes we allow that to hold us back.” 

Rather than abandoning it, he encourages producers to reframe it. 

“Use it as a rearview mirror, not a windshield,” he said. 

For Brown, the most successful operations are those willing to blend the values of the past with the tools of the present. 

Remember, agriculture is still a people business. 

At its core, Brown says agriculture has not changed. Relationships still drive decisions. 

“Ag is a people business,” he said. 

The way relationships are built, however, Brown said has changed. 

Through social media, he reaches audiences far beyond the ranch, offering a glimpse into daily life that builds familiarity over time. 

“You can’t spend 90 hours with every customer,” he said, noting that instead, he uses digital platforms to scale that connection, transforming everyday moments into opportunities to foster trust.

While viral videos often grab headlines, Brown said the real value lies elsewhere. It’s important to build credibility through transparency.

“With advocacy, it’s not about going viral,” he says. “It’s about building trust.” 

That trust becomes increasingly important as misinformation about agriculture spreads. 

“If we don’t tell our story, somebody else is going to tell it for us,” he said. 

By consistently showing what happens on the ranch, and why, Brown believes producers can help shape a more accurate understanding of the industry. 

“A lot of times we say the ‘what’, but we don’t say the ‘why’,” he added. 

Practices like vaccinating, weaning or feeding are second nature within the industry, but without context or previous knowledge, they can be misunderstood by consumers. 

“When you change your story for [people outside of agriculture] to understand, it welcomes them in,” Brown said. 

That shift from assumption to explanation is what turns everyday work into meaningful storytelling. 

Though it can sound intimidating, Brown said producers need to just get started. 

“If you’re going to do it, you’ve got to be consistent,” he added. 

That does not require expensive equipment or perfectly planned content. Some of his most successful posts come from unplanned moments — feeding cattle, checking pastures or answering a question. 

The key, Brown said, is simply showing up. 

“I hope you post once a week,” he encouraged listeners. “Just say what you’re doing and why.” 

For Brown, the goal is not to turn every producer into an influencer. It’s to ensure agriculture is represented by those who live it. In a world where stories travel faster than ever, the cattle industry cannot afford to stay silent. 

“When the truth is told,” Brown said, “agriculture wins.”