A new “crop” of social media interns have taken root with support from the Illinois corn checkoff. And at the risk of sounding too cliché, I’ll add another “turn of phrase.” They’ve grown wings and flown the nest already. This is most easily evidenced by the newly created Facebook fanpage called “Keeping it Real: Through the Lens of a Farm Girl.”

Erin Ehnle is the genius farm advocate behind the dynamic images that have taken facebook by storm in the last couple days. Here’s how Erin describes her work: “This page’s purpose is to provide a wide open door to the world of agriculture, as it happens right here in central Illinois. I’m a farm girl and photographer all rolled into one. As a result, this page will combine the art of photography with the happenings around my agriculture-based community. There will be video interviews of community members and farmers, photographs and stories ...about events that take place on my family’s farm, as well as photographs containing interesting facts about agriculture. I’d love to hear your feedback!”

The Illinois Corn Marketing Board invests in a social media internship program to broaden the scope of farm advocates. The goal is to reach a non-traditional audience, adding numbers to our support network of farmers in Illinois and around the country.

Be sure to visit Erin’s facebook page.