April 22 is Earth Day — an annual celebration of the planet’s biodiversity and an important opportunity to highlight solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges. This year, the focus of Earth Day is urban revitalization through greener cities, and many organizations across the globe are working toward that goal.

The FarmOn Foundation, formed by a group of young agricultural enthusiasts, from rural Alberta are asking farmers to get involved again in #Farmvoices.

The #FarmVoices Movement was initiated by FarmOn in 2013 as a way to prompt meaningful conversations and relationship building necessary for young farmers to form a strong rapport with each other and their customers. Young farmers were called on to engage directly with consumers, relaying their own farming stories and reality by posting a photo and a thought to Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter about their experience as a farmer, attaching the hashtag #FARMVOICES.

On April 22, 2013, Earth Day, young farmers from across the world did just that, utilizing the power of social media to connect with consumers, creating a media buzz that saw headlines like “Farmers take back Earth Day”. With posts streaming live on the FarmOn website, over 2,000 stories were shared that day, creating a bigger picture of the industry. #FarmVoices proved to be a game changer. It was the first time young farmers came together in mass numbers to unite under one common goal: telling the real story of farming, without a filter. The Movement continues on in 2014, and once again coincides with Earth Day.

Becoming involved in the Movement is as simple as being willing to share your story! On April 22, Earth Day, take a photo or video that shows a glimpse of your farming reality, write your thoughts, tag it with the hashtag #FARMVOICES and post it to Twitter, Facebook and/or Instagram. It’s that easy!