You're feeding the world, defending agriculture online, navigating family business decisions that would stump an MBA, and doing it all before most people finish their morning coffee.
You love agriculture. You show up for it every single day – even when the world misunderstands what you grow, how you grow it, and who you are.
But here's what doesn't get said enough at women's ag conferences: the exhaustion isn't just physical. It's the weight of doing everything well – farming, advocating, leading, communicating, supporting everyone around you – while quietly wondering if you're doing any of it right. It's watching misinformation about your operation spread faster than you can respond. It's the isolation of being underestimated in rooms where you've already earned your seat.
2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer. A title doesn't fix burnout, silence misinformation, or give you the words for the hard conversations.That's what this program does.
Does this sound familiar?
- You're carrying more than your share – and calling it strength
- You want to talk about what you do without sounding defensive or technical, but don't think you have the expertise
- Stress is quietly taking more from you than it should
- AI and social media are telling agriculture's story – and your voice deserves to be in that conversation
Why women in agriculture trust Michele Payn
Michele Payn, CSP – one of 900 Certified Speaking Professionals worldwide – grew up on a dairy and crop farm in southern Michigan and still farms in Indiana today. She has spent a lifetime in agriculture, navigating the same world you're navigating: the financial hardships, the tough family decisions, the daily business of defending agriculture in an era of food bullying and machine-generated misinformation. She has worked with farmers across 25+ countries, authored four books recognized by Purdue University, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and the International Food Information Council, and hosted 140+ podcast episodes bridging farm science and the real conversations women in agriculture are having. She's one of your own – and her stories will make you laugh and leave you thinking.
She's one of your own. And her stories will make you laugh, and leave you really thinking. Michele brings something nobody else is offering: grace in self-leadership, gratitude as a mental wellness tool, and growth through the advocacy and AI skills tomorrow's agriculture demands.
Five award-winning books · 25+ countries · 140+ podcast episodes · Farmer
Solutions this program delivers to women in agriculture
-
-
- Grace in leadership – how to lead yourself before you lead others, set boundaries without guilt, and recognize that self-care is not a luxury – it's a business strategy.
- Gratitude as a mental wellness tool – practical, science-backed approaches to managing chronic stress and finding meaning even in agriculture's hardest seasons. Chocolate is preferred, but coping skills are necessary.
- How to communicate agriculture's truth – without getting technical, defensive, or exhausted. Not just advocacy – connection. Heart-level communication with the people furthest from the farm.
- What AI is saying about your operation – and why the authentic stories of women in agriculture are exactly what's needed to counter it.
- How to lead through self-doubt – the imposter syndrome, the second-guessing, the pressure of proving yourself in spaces you've already earned.
- A personal action plan – built around your farm, your community, your voice. Not a script – a tool you can use at home.
-
Women will leave your meeting feeling...
Seen in the honest, specific way that only comes from a speaker who has lived this life from the inside.
Refueled with practical hope and real tools, not just a pep talk.
Equipped with a personal communication and advocacy framework for the conversations that matter most.
Empowered to treat stress management as a proactive business skill, not a crisis response.
Ready to lead agriculture's next chapter knowing exactly who they are and why they matter.
Clients talk about Michele's lasting impact
"Words can't describe what you do; from your stories about rural America to kickboxing, your keynote was truly remarkable." — Wisconsin Association of Fairs member
"The audience was empowered by you and the fact that you were one of them, a woman in agriculture, validated your comments." — Laurie Wolinski, Delaware Cooperative Extension Service
"Michele provided a safe, enthusiastic, and understanding environment for our producers to address difficult topics, such as mental health and managing stress. She combined science with reality to connect with the audience and show them the importance of taking care of themselves, just as well as they care for their animals and businesses." — Zoey Dinkla, Iowa Pork
Learning objectives (depending on timeframe)
After this program, attendees will be able to:
-
-
- Lead themselves with intention – setting boundaries, managing energy, and approaching self-care as a proactive business skill
- Apply science-backed gratitude and stress management strategies to agriculture's specific pressures
- Communicate agriculture's truth with confidence and connection – not defensiveness or jargon
- Use AI and social media strategically to ensure their authentic voice is part of agriculture's story
- Leave with a personal communication and advocacy framework for the conversations that connect on a human level
-
Available as: Keynote (60–90 min) · Half-day workshop · Conference breakout (45–90 min) · Virtual
Ideal for: Women in agriculture conferences · Farm bureau women's programs · Cooperative and agribusiness women's leadership events · Extension women's summits · Young women in agriculture programs · Provincial or state commodity women's programs. Clients have included Ohio Women's Agri Intelligence Conference · Mid Kansas Co-op · Compeer Financial · South Carolina Farm Bureau · New Mexico Women in Agriculture · Oklahoma Women in Agriculture & Small Business · Virginia Cattlewomen · American Agri-Women · Women in Agribusiness.
Dig deeper: Agriculture's Growth Journal was written for exactly this audience – a science-backed, story-driven playbook for the mental wellness and personal growth of the women who feed the world. Learn more →