If Jones Family Farms doesn’t get more Facebook fans than Bishop’s Orchards in Guilford by Thanksgiving, owner Jamie Jones will end up dressed from head to toe in Bishop’s gear working on that farm come Christmas time.
The two farms are battling for the most Facebook fans, and loser has to spend a day working on the other farm.
The competition is part high-school-like rivalry, part charity drive and part advertising.
“Word of mouth advertising is the greatest advertising. And now word of mouth is electronic,” said Keith Padin, a spokesperson for Jones Family Farms.
(Here’s a link to Jones’ Facebook page, and Bishop’s Facebook page.)
You need to be a registered Facebook user to become a “fan.”
To keep the competition community focused, the farms plan to donate $1 to charity for each Facebook fan that signs up before 8 a.m. Nov. 27.
Jones Family Farms said they will donate to the Valley United Way.
Bishop’s Orchard plans to give its money to the Guilford Community Fund.
The two farms also plan to donate a portion of the money to the Working Lands Alliance, a local project of the American Farmland Trust which preserves farmland in the state. Ironically, the Working Lands Alliance also has its own Facebook page here.
Why Facebook?
Padin said using social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter, Jones has been able to tell its customers about different services, and give them timely information on weather-related openings and closing.
“To me, it’s just an invaluable tool,” Padin said. “They may know we sell pumpkins, and have no idea we have a cooking class. Or they might know we have a winery, and have no idea we do Christmas Trees.”
The two farms hope to get a combined 5,000 fans before Thanksgiving. As of Thursday morning, Jones had 1,119 and Bishop’s had 1,437 fans.
