HARRISBURG, Pa., April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The public now has the opportunity to learn about Pennsylvania agriculture on a one-to-one basis now that the Department of Agriculture has ventured into the realm of online social media, said Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding today.  

Using its new Twitter account, @PA_AgSecretary, the Department of Agriculture will provide updates on what's happening in the agency and important consumer protection alerts, as well as links to the department's website and other resources related to agriculture. Twitter is a social media website that allows for short, text-based bursts of information in 140 characters or less.

"Engaging in social media will give the department a chance to reach a more diverse audience and share the story of Pennsylvania's number one industry – agriculture," Redding said. "Using Twitter is a unique way to let our consumers and our citizens know about the role agriculture plays in our everyday lives, while recognizing the good work done by our 63,000 farm families to provide a safe and abundant food supply."

Redding plans to post messages, or "tweets," several times a week, highlighting the department's most current initiatives and important agricultural events taking place across the state.

Twitter accounts are free at www.twitter.com. To follow the secretary on Twitter, go to www.twitter.com/PA_AgSecretary.

The department's homepage, www.agriculture.state.pa.us, also has a button leading directly to Twitter and will show Redding's most recent posts.

Media contact: Justin Fleming, 717-787-5085

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

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RELATED LINKS
http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us
http://www.twitter.com/PA_AgSecretary