Readers are excited about No More Food Fights!, the first book of its kind to help food producers and buyers (and everyone in between) reach across the table and engage in productive conversations. The first Amazon reviews:

 

The truly interesting thing about this book is that Michele worked so very hard to step beyond what you might expect as her point of view — conventional agriculture — to consider all perspectives. I had the privilege of seeing early drafts and was truly impressed with how the author brought in so many voices. Rather than just tell their stories, she uses a format that often allows individuals to speak for themselves. It makes the information interesting and credible. Pick up a copy. It will make you think.

~ Mark Gale

Michele Payn has been at the forefront of fostering respectful discussion among those who produce food and those who make thoughtful decisions about buying and consuming it. As a family farmer herself, she understands the challenges, rewards and values of those who work on the farm. As a founder of the AgChat Foundation, she was early to recognize and effectively use online communication channels to connect farmers and consumers. This book is populated with interesting and compelling examples, collected from a diverse group of relationships she’s nurtured from both producers and consumers. Read this book if: You’re a consumer, concerned and confused about what happens to food before it reaches your table. You’re a farmer or food producer, frustrated by the discussion which frequently doesn’t accurately reflect our own values and way of life.

~ Ed Nicholson

Michele Payn has spent years advocating for truth in the food discussion. This book covers both sides of the ongoing discussion and helps cut through misinformation. Learn about the concerns people have about their food.

~ Paul Kummer

Great information and many perspectives. As a farm family, I was happy to see our story told accurately and appreciated Payn representing all sides of the plate. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who eats.

~ Stephany Dykshorn

Agriculture and food production practices are often misunderstood by the public and maligned in the media. These days, misinformation regarding farming practice and food quality and safety can circulate like wildfire, fuelled by social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. “No More Food Fights” is a unique book that offers the reader a way to navigate the `fever swamp’ of propaganda by providing realistic insights into how food makes it to our plate. Author Michele Payn challenges us to abandon the `food fights’ in favor of balanced conversations that are approached with “curiosity, candor and civility.” Through this book, she encourages us to celebrate our choices and to strive to engage in productive dialogue on the science behind agriculture, about what really happens on the farm, consumer perceptions of farming and food and everything in between.

The book has a really unique design where content is organized around the five senses (touch, sight, sound, smell, taste) along with one more – common sense. One side is aimed at the consumer perspective (chefs, healthcare professionals, foodies, dieticians, etc) while the `flip’ side reveals the perspectives of farmers, ranchers and agri-business. “No More Food Fights” covers the gamut from biotechnology to grain and livestock production practices to animal welfare to stewardship to fertilizers, pests and protecting the environment – all in an effort to highlight the high quality of North America’s food and feed. It is an approachable book with insights from a variety of people and professionals who have firsthand experience including farmers, dieticians, food processors, physicians, food safety experts, veterinarians, consumers and scientists. I see “No More Food Fights” as a call to action. For all of us; no matter where we sit on the value chain – producer, processor or consumer. We need to approach our dialogues around farming and food with civility. No negativity, no grandstanding – just good conversation!

~ Camille D. Ryan

So often I hear people say “I just eat…I can’t change agriculture.” People who eat are the best ones to define agriculture – it’s their choices every day that tell farmers what to grow! At the same time, farmers often misunderstand what those “just eat” folks are saying. It’s easy to get defensive and hard to back up and think everyone has food choices when those choices are opposed to what we do. In “No More Food Fights” Michele Payn seeks to unite these two factions in one easy to read book. It is double sided, with half the book directed at those in agriculture and half directed at those who, perhaps, “just eat”. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that only half the book applies…read the whole thing! Many of those mentioned in these pages are folks I’ve met or gotten to know over the last several years because of social media. This shows the power of social media in action to allow not only a way to get information but a means to reach others who want information – and it’s all free. Communication can be frustrating sometimes. How do you know what questions to ask if you don’t even know were to start? How do we listen better? How do we not take personally when someone makes a different choice than us? Where do those “just eat” folks that make up the majority of the population *find* accurate information? This book answers these questions and many more. It doesn’t just tell you the answers – it shows you where to get answers to your questions in a much more diverse way, no matter what those questions are. It shows you how to find common ground where our emotional choices (food!) doesn’t have to be an emotional battle zone. There shouldn’t be division if we truly support food choices – including the choices that differ from ours. As a small operation with a niche market, we could make a lot more money (at least short term) fanning the flames of food fear and solving it with buy here. Indeed that’s what much marketing is based on – find a pain, fix it! However, we’re small and cannot fix everyone’s pains – so should others not eat? I don’t think so! While many of those in these pages are the larger operations on the farm side, it is a chance to actually *hear* the answers to questions so many seem to want. Those operations don’t look down on us for having a different market and a different customer – you see, that’s what food choices are. This book lets you chart a course to find what *your* food choices are, not what the media says or ‘experts’ say or the latest food fear says. It breaks the journey down into a half dozen steps – easy to read, easy to implement, easy to do then redo on a regular basis. It can lead you to rethinking your food sources, and find – and empower! – those food choices that you are comfortable with. For those in food production and processing, it charts a similar course to that center part of discussion – how to do a better job of sharing without division. It doesn’t matter if you’re omnivore, vegan, local food or Costco frequent shopper…this is an action book for *you* to find answers for *your* family. It’s to build bridges using social media tools you have at your fingertips to talk to those who might be far away that we never see otherwise. We often run in completely different circles…this takes a little trip to connect those circles. There is little more worth the time to research than the food you serve every day. People research for the best deal on computers, on cars, on doctors and other professionals. Give 15 minutes per day to conversation about your food. Eliminate the fear and guilt of going to the grocery store. Eliminate the condemnation of *choosing* that doughnut on the weekend or the trip to the farmer’s market that friends say is a waste of money. Choose! Start with this book.

~ Jan Hoadley

An excellent read! For someone who has grown up on a farm myself, I felt myself asking some of the same questions. Michele does a great job of explaining that there isn’t just one way of growing and raising the foods we eat… we all (farmers alike) need to be agvocates together and trust that the consumers are making decisions based on all 6 senses!

~ em787

Fellow National Speakers Association colleague, Michele Payn (she often goes by the moniker Michele) is a farm girl, speaker, and now author of a new book exploring civil conversations about food. She asks both the farming community and consumers curious about production agriculture to meet in the middle and discourse diplomatically. Her business Cause Matters, Corp., emphasizes advocacy in agriculture yet she has a very realistic point of view about both sides of the dinner plate. She so believes in honest communication between farming and food that she even produced her book in two distinct sides; literally one cover reads ‘Farm Side’ and the other ‘Food Side’. It’s a unique approach sure to get noticed! I really ‘champion’ Michele (to use a term from business’ catch phrase) in her repeated emphasis that each ‘side’ stay inquisitive rather than judgmental. Foodie readers will identify with her love of baking and Italian cooking. She reaches common ground with fellow moms experiencing ‘food guilt’ because they feel conditioned or pressured to buy only organic. Helping busy women make sound, educated food choices they feel good about is one real accomplishment of her book. Take a read and some time to consider ‘the other side of the dinner plate’ whether you are thinking about your next meal or the next row you plant this spring. Really enjoyed her realistic point of view about both sides of the dinner plate!

~ Sarah Beth Aubrey

Michele’s new book share’s the expertise she’s gained from years of working with people on both sides of the table – food producers and food consumers. Her unique and effective approach has been helping food producers make connections with consumers in ways they never thought possible. Now they are digging into No More Food Fights for more solutions and better ways to build bridges for better understanding.

~ Mary Foley Balvanz

“Thank You,” Michele, for bringing civil dialogue to the growing interest in where our food comes from. More and more people are interested in learning about the origins of their food, and fewer and fewer people have first hand knowledge of the process. We have arrived at a tipping point in the U.S. where teachers are wondering aloud what farmers will do since “we can now get our food in a grocery store.” Regardless of your background, regardless of your politics, and regardless of your food preferences, this book is a must read!

~ Michael T. Platt

For years, Michele has done a great job in facilitating discussions between the agriculture community and food consumers. I have been excited about this book project and am glad to see it come to reality. Michele includes perspectives from individuals on both sides of the table who can help us learn more about our food supply and how to have more productive conversations about the topics. I encourage anyone interested in eating better and making a difference in our food supply to read this book and learn more.

~ Ryan Goodman

This book is a MUST for the toolbox of Registered Dietitians everywhere! Michele does an amazing job of bringing farmers and nutrition professionals together to talk about their passion (food), and work as a team in busting myths that surround the farming/food industry.

~ H. Wells (KSU 2002)

There are many issues surrounding our food system and agriculture today. Michele does a great job at addressing some of these issues while mixing perspectives from different people and her own experiences. I highly recommend this book for any teachers who are discussing food and agriculture issues in their classes.

~ Drew Bender

No More Food Fights is a great book for anyone on the urban side wanting to know more about their food. And for the farmers out there like me, we can learn how to explain to concerned consumers of our products, how we grow their food, and why we do it the way we do.

~ LJ