Communicating Through Disaster

August 2022 Paradigm Webinar

NIAA often speaks to our stakeholders about the importance of telling your agriculture story, but not many get such an important opportunity, like Tera Barnhardt, DVM, MS.

In mid-June a natural disaster hit southwest Kansas – multiple days of rising temperatures, high humidity and a windy part of the country was now still. This perfect storm is a health emergency for livestock. Cattle cannot compensate for this type of weather, especially without a period of cooling that typically happens at night.

More than 2,000 cattle died from heat stress – mostly in the Kansas counties of Haskell and Grant - and soon after videos, rumors, and conspiracy theories were running rampant through social media platforms.

Tara Barnhardt, DVM, MS is a veterinarian based in Southwest Kansas and specializes in caring for cattle being finished in feedlots. Through her social media platforms and with the help of a few agriculture influencers, Dr. Barnhardt set out to provide the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding the situation to anyone that was looking for more information about the disaster.

Join NIAA for this members-only webinar at 2 p.m. central on August 31 as Dr. Barnhardt discusses what led to the situation and her communication efforts - during and after the height of speculation. She will discuss the challenges she faced while communicating with strangers online, what went well, what she would do differently in retrospect, and what advice she has for others.