Launched with a mission to connect the farm gate to the food plate after seeing ag-to-consumer communication gap widening. As a pioneer in agricultural advocacy, Michele would spend half of her time speaking convincing farmers and ranchers we had a perception problem.

Traveled to Ukraine to work with ag retailers and grain farmers through a USAID-funded project – bringing communication and advocacy tools to the people working to modernize one of the world's most significant agricultural regions.

Michele became a mom – and gained a lifelong farm partner. Her daughter grew up showing and loving Holsteins, which says everything about the home and barn she was raised in.

Earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation – held by fewer than 10% of professional speakers worldwide. This earned credential that reflects thousands of hours of platform work and measurable client impact.

Founded #AgChat – among the first global Twitter communities for agriculture, which reached 50,000 people globally. Later began #FoodChat to engage people around the food plate around how food is produced. Michele trained agricultural organizations and farm groups across the U.S. on social media strategy and engagement.

Worked in Egypt as part of the MUCIA USAID project to help build an agriculture education system. Provided speaking and writing training, along with strategic planning. Empowerment transcends borders.

Recognized a critical gap: registered dietitians were advising millions of Americans on food with little firsthand knowledge of how it's grown. Began active research and engagement with dietetic associations, building programming for meaningful farm-to-RDN education.

Published first book – a two-sided format inviting farm people and food people to reach across the plate and find common ground. A bridge-building framework still used in ag advocacy training today.

With No More Food Fights! as a platform, built out a robust portfolio of keynotes, workshops, and consulting engagements across North America – facilitating strategic plans for state ag organizations, delivering social media and advocacy training.

Published Food Truths from Farm To Table: 25 Ways to Shop & Eat Without Guilt, a #1 Amazon Best Seller Designed to answer the questions consumers and dietitians ask most, with insight from 55+ contributors. Named the 2018 IPPY Bronze Medal winner in health, medicine, and nutrition – placing agriculture in the same conversation health professionals.

Michele started speaking about mental wellness for farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness professionals – a topic still widely underserved. This led to Agriculture's Growth Journal, a tool to provide 52 practical tips and space to write down thoughts.

Michele married Erik, who likes to tell people farming is women's work in their barn, but has since become a genuine partner in creating their wildflower pollinator conservation project on their Indiana farm.

Launched the Food Bullying Podcast with health speaker Eliz Greene as founding co-host, bringing a consumer health lens to agriculture's toughest conversations. Nicole Rodriguez, RDN, later joined as co-host, adding the farmer-dietitian pairing that gave the 120 episodes a distinctive, credible voice at the intersection of agriculture and nutrition.

Released Food Bullying: How to Avoid Buying B.S.,exposing how fear-based food marketing manipulates shoppers and undermines farmers. Became a #1 Amazon best seller and in 2020, named the 2020 IPPY Gold Medal winner in health, medicine, and nutrition – selected from among 4,500 entries in the world's largest independent book competition

Co-authored with Amy Hays – Science Story Speak is a first-of-its-kind workbook helping scientists in nutrition, agriculture, Extension, and conservation communicate more effectively in a sensationalized, science-skeptical world.

Michele bgan looking at A.I. for issues intelligence in 2024, and then included cutting edge insights in her keynotes to help agricultural organizations, agribusinesses, and farmers understand what AI means for food, farming, and science communication.