FROM SUNSHINE TO HARVEST: FUELING RURAL NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL FLORIDA`S GROWTH WITH SOCIAL MEDIA INSIGHTS AND AI

The primary goal of this research projectis to assist small-scale agricultural enterprises in Northeast and Central Florida in optimizing their operational strategies through the utilization of advanced social media marketing techniques and subsequently enhance their incomes. Our specific focus lies in enhancing their capacity to engage with local clientele, with particular emphasis on residents residing within major metropolitan areas in the region.To achieve the goal aimed above, we have three specific objectives in this project. First, we will conduct surveys and analyze online social media data to identify critical gaps and assess the current role of social media in connecting local customers with small farms in Northeast and Central Florida. This will involve extracting key information such as supply and demand patterns, preferred social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Snap, Pinterest, X, Google Maps), and effective communication features. Second, We will enhance marketing and customer retention for small farms by using data-driven methods, including social media analysis and AI tools like Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing, regression analysis, among many others. These techniques will help us tailor advertising and promotions for specific produce or farms, maximize social media influence, and provide guidance on creating engaging content for consumers. Third, the findings and results will then be turned into workshops for educating extension agents and local farmers about how to use social media for marketing in a good strategy. To evaluate the impacts, data reflecting sales performances will be collected from local farms voluntarily with the help of extension agents. These feedbacks will also provide insight for the first objective for future improvements.