FAQ: Michele Payn & Cause Matters Corp.
Who is Michele Payn, and what makes her different from other agricultural speakers?
Michele is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) – a distinction held by fewer than 10% of speakers worldwide – with a working dairy farm background, four published books, and 25 years of experience helping agriculture communicate. She doesn't just talk about farming; she lives it. What sets Michele apart is her ability to connect the emotional truth of agricultural life with the science and business realities behind food production, in a way that resonates with everyone from farmers to grocery shoppers to doctos to C-suite agribusiness leaders.
What is Cause Matters Corp.?
Cause Matters Corp. is Michele's speaking, consulting, and communications firm, founded in 2001. The company helps agricultural organizations, agribusinesses, farmers, scientists, and rural communities find their voice and build meaningful conversations around food and farming – through keynotes, training programs, strategic consulting, and coaching.
Is Michele available for virtual presentations?
Yes. Michele delivers engaging virtual keynotes and training sessions for organizations across North America. Her interactive approach translates well to digital formats – whether a 60-minute webinar or a multi-session virtual workshop.
Topics & Expertise
What topics does Michele speak on?
Michele's core topics include: food myth-busting and food bullying (fear-based marketing), farm-to-consumer communication, science communication for agricultural professionals, mental health and wellness in agriculture, agricultural advocacy and social media strategy, and leadership development for ag organizations. She customizes every engagement to fit your audience's specific needs and goals. Take a look at the menu of her speaking programs.
Does Michele address GMOs, antibiotics, animal welfare, and other hot-button food topics?
Absolutely. These are central to her work - she's been known to write a book (or four) on it. Michele equips audiences with science-based responses to fear-based food marketing – covering topics like GMO safety, antibiotic use in livestock, sustainability practices, animal welfare standards, and food labeling myths. She addresses these topics with credibility as a voice of reason, helping audiences have better conversations rather than polarizing debates
Can Michele speak to both farmer and consumer audiences?
That's her sweet spot. Michele has spent 25 years learning how to communicate across the farm-food divide. She speaks at agricultural conferences and farm meetings, but also presents for dietitian associations, food industry groups, consumer education events, and community farm to dinner events. She knows how to read a room and meet people where they are.
Does Michele address mental health in agriculture?
Yes – and she brings both personal understanding of the stressors in agriculture and practical tools. Michele authored Agriculture's Growth Journal, a stress management resource designed specifically for farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness professionals. She is a columnist for AgDaily and Progressive Dairy on mental wellness in agriculture, and incorporates this theme into keynotes and workshops upon client request.
Is Michele Payn a 'paid gun' or sponsored to share specific opinions?
No! Michele' expertise and passion comes from firsthand experience and extensive research; she does not accept payment from any company or organization to support a particular position or product. Cause Matters Corp. chooses consulting projects based on alignment with Michele's goals around connecting the people and science of farm and food.
Booking & Working with Michele
How do we book Michele for our event?
Contact Michele here She works closely with leadership committees, executives, and meeting planners to understand your audience and goals before recommending the right program. Each one is tailor-made for your audience!
What types of events does Michele speak at?
Michele regularly speaks at state and national agricultural conferences, commodity organization meetings, trade shows, agribusiness leadership summits, dietitian continuing education events, Farm Bureau conferences, and rural community wellness events. She also facilitates strategic planning sessions and delivers training workshops for organizations.
Does Michele offer consulting services beyond speaking?
Yes. Cause Matters Corp. offers strategic planning facilitation, science communications coaching, executive presentation coaching, and sponsorship development training for not-for-profit ag groups. Contact Michele to discuss your organization's specific needs.
What is the Food Bullying podcast?
Co-hosted by Michele, the Food Bullying podcast explores how fear-based marketing impacts food choices – and what farmers, scientists, and consumers can do about it. With more than 120 episodes, it's a resource for anyone who wants to make smarter, science-grounded food decisions.
What books has Michele written?
Michele has written four books: Science Story Speak (co-authored with Amy Hays, 2024) – a workbook for science, nutrition, and agricultural communicators; Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying B.S. – IPPY gold medal winner, tackling misleading food claims; Food Truths from Farm to Table – IPPY bronze medal, a myth-busting grocery guide; and No More Food Fights! – a two-sided book bringing farm and food people together. All are available at causematters.com/books.
What are your speaking fees?
Given the hours preparation, intellectual property, and research required for each program, pretty reasonable! Fees vary depending program involved, expected outcomes, and time of year. Non-profits do receive special rates and winter is the time of highest demand for my programs (meaning less flexibility in fees). Michele tries here bestt to ensure you get results from your investment and has different packages available.
I have more questions!
Michele would love to chat; fill out the contact form.
