“Her presentation empowers agriculture to tell its story with credibility, respect, and impact. Michele helped me navigate tough conversations with compassion for the urbanites who have little connection to where their food comes from.”
- Jeannette Andrashewski, Canadian Canola Farmer
What drives Michele to write? ▶ Bridging the gap from farm to food with story and science.
"You are a gift to agriculture – you do an amazing job connecting non-ag folks to agriculture in a relatable and logical way that's welcoming and opens the door to a deeper understanding.”
- Lana Frantzen, PhD, RDN, DairyMAX
Yes, farming is personal, but so is food. People have a right to have questions of a farmer. They even have a right to disagree with your farming choices. Please realize the person next to you may have a very different image of the perfect farmer than you – and that’s O.K. Michele’s excerpt from “No More Food Fights” takes a look at the frustration and future of a defensive agriculture.
Michele shares an inside look at writing a book, with thanks to more than 35 farm, chef, dietitian, ranch and foodie contributors from across North America. “No More Food Fights!” will be released in print on Valentine’s Day, with four digital versions available in March. Get an early look at the table of contents and endorsements. How will you share the “food love” to grow a productive conversation around farm and food?
6 senses for the food side to engage in meaningful conversation + 6 steps for agriculture better tell their story = the opportunity to reach across the food plate and shake hands. Help Michele name her new “baby” – a two-sided book. Bringing appreciation for a civil conversation around food and farming. Expertise from around the food plate. Personal stories.
Know a latecomer to the social world who might be embarrassed to ask for help? Michele shares a variety of articles and resources to help them. Scary fact; 57% of people talk to people more online than they do in real life. If agriculture isn’t a part of that, we all lose.
How do we teach our children where their food comes from? Guest blogger, Bobbi Kleinshmidt shows that learning gardens at schools increase a student’s self-esteem, understanding of nutrition, non-verbal communication skills, positive attitudes about the environment – and raises science scores.
Confident, communication skills, the cool factor, clarity, conversation and conviction are the 6 Cs Michele suggest for teenagers to keep in mind as they find their voice to tell their farm and ranch story. Ideas included from 4-H and FFA members, high schoolers, parents and college students.
What does a site filled with wedding dresses, recipes and shoes have to do with farmers? Pinterest is ripe with opportunity for agriculture to go beyond choir & connect on a human level.
What forces that will drive disruptive change in our world over the next decade? How can agriculture adapt and act with tomorrow’s logic? Michele shares what she learned from a futurist, relating the five to farming and food choices. What forces that will drive disruptive change in our world over the next decade? Michele shares what she learned from a futurist and how they might farming and food choices. How can agriculture adapt and act with tomorrow’s logic?
Learn from a stubborn, business-minded dairy farmer has found the value of opening his barn doors, talking about animal care and why it matters to agriculture. In his words, open your mind and open your doors, it will pay off.
Center pivots of information are directed right at you; we consume about 168 million DVDs worth of information on the internet each day. Are you ducking, drinking or drowning? Info overload is very real; Michele shares social statistics that may surprise you and asks – if social media is dead, what has been birthed in its place?
Cow couture and hair styling are how Michele describes getting ready for classification. Learn more about this art in dairy farming and why keeping cattle – and humans safe is a priority with this inside look behind your milk glass and ice cream cone.
Michele challenges those in agriculture to go beyond National Ag Week’s celebration by talking to five people outside of the food & farming business. Relate to people on their playing field – not your corn field – if you really want to go beyond the choir.
A structural engineer contrasts the trust placed in engineering with that which is given to farming. Why do people question the way that farmers grow their food but not the way the engineers design their buildings or other infrastructure? Interesting thoughts resulting from the study showing that people trust farmers, but not farming.
Does agriculture make sure people have someone to turn to when they have questions? Michele uses her recent experience with tractors, TVs and satellite providers to illustrate frustrations people may find with food and farm. How can we more proactively manage concerns and be sure we’re translating our world to their language?
More than 100 jobs listed in a unique spin on Foodthanks to encourage people to consider the humans in the agrifood business. Give thanks & shed a new light agriculture, food, natural resources and related businesses as a cornerstone of our country.
95% of the world’s food buyers worry about taste, cost & nutrition, not the quagmire of issues of agriculture’s vocal opponents. Michele points to examples of food apathy, such as only 9% of Americans can tell you how many calories they need in a day – and 5% are more sedentary than a year ago. Doesn’t it make sense to focus on the middle and connect with others doing the same, such as dietitians?
Going beyond the agriculture choir is easy to talk about, but difficult to execute. You have a chance to jump out of the choir loft and provide perspective THIS Sunday, 10/16. Blog Action Day 2011 is themed food, and coincides with Food Day, put on by activist group Center for Science in the Public Interest. Be sure agriculture is a part of the conversation – and ask others to join in.
Did you grow up with a garden? Guest mom blogger MRS shares her experiences with her family’s garden and how her perspective has changed as an adult and parent.
1 voice or 115,000? And how do you leverage your work as an agvocate so that it’s bigger than you? Michele highlights a few of her favorite examples of the spirit of agvocacy from the AgChat Foundation’s Agvocacy 2.0 conference in Nashville. She suggests leveraging voices to have greater impact on the conversation about food and farming…
Celebrating what’s right with rural America – and sharing those values with kids not on a farm. Michele’s quick pictures from the Boone County 4-H Fair dairy project and highlights of a leasing program that gives firsthand lessons about animal agriculture.
A college agvocate gives her perspective on the future. Elizabeth Burns-Thompson is the first in her immediate family with a college degree and is set to go to law school, in order to better serve agriculture.
Suburban kid turned city slicker questions the stereotypes that exist across the food plate. Amy Throndsen challenges farmers and urban dwellers to break down stereotypes about each other. This former Peace Corps worker turned cow waterbed queen points to social media as a great place to get the real story.
A quality product provides opportunity to change opinions, writes Laura Nelson. She believes helping people feel good about your product will be a shield whenever your story isn’t portrayed with the utmost quality. Read more in this second agvocacy post from Certified Angus Beef…
Wyoming farm girl Laura Nelson shares her experience with bridging the food divide… in New York City. Read about how she’s found a quality product, combined with a simple story, allows agriculture to connect on a personal level.
Self-proclaimed ag nerd Tara Saylor Litzenberger gives you an inside look at how agribusinesses are using social media. Read here for the scoop on Deere’s policy and how they’re using new tools in the online era.
Wayne Black is an Ontario farmer who shied away from social media because of his dislike for Facebook. Then he discovered Twitter… Read this guest post to discover what he’s learned.
Blue loves riding in the tractor and has been quite the helper now that Indiana fields are finally dry enough to plant. MRS shares how her family worked through the challenges of bedrest, weather and managing a pre-schooler in order to get this year’s crop in the ground.
How are you leveraging connections across the food plate? Michele challenges you to reach 10 new people, spend 10 minutes in conversation on Facebook with non-ag folks or ask 10 people about their food concerns. She announces 10x Connect to broaden the conversations between the farm gate and food plate in celebration of a decade of business.
Farmer Liz Nieman believes it’s her job to provide information that people are looking for around food while finding common ground. She doesn’t have to agree with someone in order to respect them. Liz lets her commitment to her work show, checks her attitude frequently, and builds a bridge. Can you say the same?
Moving away to college taught farmer’s daughter Bobbi Kleinschmidt how much she cherished the values instilled on that family farm. Work ethic, appreciation for food production and respect for the environment were expected. She writes about trying to create this culture for her children today – a tough task in a suburban setting.
Finding the best possible farm animal welfare solution can be an often controversial, emotional and complex effort. But rather than shy from the challenge, guest blogger Tim Amlaw is encouraged that people are talking, whether it be in legislatures, on social media or across the fence.
April showers bring May flowers, right? Mom blogger, MRS writes of her family’s frustrations with the wet spring and complications she has experienced with her pregnancy.
Property rights or freedom of speech? The nasty videos on farms aren’t going to stop. The question is what we do to protect both the families and animals involved. Michele describes a not-so-pretty example of of animal agriculture; she doesn’t believe consumers understand farm animals well enough to have barns filled with video cameras. How can we bridge the two worlds?
A rancher in the Sandhills of Nebraska gets tired of the bickering between farmers and ranchers – and thinks we’re losing sight of the big picture. Jecca Ostrander hears arguments about grassfed vs. cornfed beef, methods of planting and tilling vs. no-till, whether to utilize biotechnology or not, organic, natural, etc. She believes we are all the face of American agriculture and should be of one voice of encouragement to our consumers.
Editor and farm journalist Susan Crowell writes in this guest agvocate post that your “local community” is now as wide and deep as you want to make it. She notes to farmer and ranchers: your voice and your stories give others a bigger lens through which they can now view agriculture. Just like sharing a story at the coffee shop with the city councilman. As you make those connections, a wonderful thing happens: conversations that bridge the gap of misunderstanding. On both sides.
Michele pens an emotional response to another animal rights activist video. A must read for anyone concerned about dairy farmers abusing calves. Michele offers a personal glimpse of how food producers feel watching these videos and illustrates the misrepresentation by comparing prostitutes to farmers.
Ohio farmer Bill Bakan highlights how communicating, especially through social media helps farms. He points to the fact that even if you don’t direct market, other people have an increasing say in how you operate, which translates into your cost of production. Learn how he’s used social media to balance and control his online image for their winery and agritourism operation.
Nutrition professionals want to tackle hunger, food safety and nutrition through agriculture. By seeking closer collaboration with nutrition, agriculture can gain new insights into the food needs consumers. How can you help achieve a closer relationship between agriculture and nutrition? Donna Manring is a leader within her state and national dietetic associations – she wants innovative partnership to deliver optimal nutrition and agriculture information.
Are farmers and ranchers the only ones who should be telling agriculture’s story? Michele doesn’t think so – and provides a personal example from “little tweep” telling the story more effectively than any adult could. Agriculture needs as many people sharing their firsthand experience, whether you’re a meat scientist in Pennsylvania, a seed salesman in Alberta, a rancher in Texas, a dairy woman in Michigan, a college student in Kansas – or a little person at a science fair.
Michele shares a personal look at her perspective that’s changed in the last week. She suggests that we all need to invest our energy where it matters in the spring – and stay positive. You will reap what you sow, whether you’re in the field or online.
Attention spans are decreasing. Agriculture’s need to effectively communicate is increasing. EARN THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD! Communications expert Stacey Hanke guest blogs about eight steps you can communicate with impact and influence. She notes that failure to communicate successfully wastes time, money and your credibility.
Guest mom blogger, MRS writes of her longing for warmer weather and the excitement she feels as the days get warmer and flowers begin to pop up!
Speaking up for agriculture is not just about connecting “The Public” with “The Farm.” Agvocacy becomes most effective when we add a human voice to the farm, says Nebraska farmer Zach Hunnicutt. He uses his sports obsession to connect with people through Twitter – and even has made an CNBC appearance. Learn more from this great guest post of a dad, Cornhusker, tech head – and farmer.
4-H gave Michele lessons in leadership, citizenship and perseverance. The proposed slashes to the Smith Lever act
will likely remove the opportunity for more young people to benefit from 4-H – and the very important life skills taught through 4-H. If you believe in any of Extension’s values – whether for young people, fitness, food, farms or gardeners – please speak up today.
Have you ever said ‘there are never enough hours in the day?’ Do you ever feel like you just can’t get it all done, even while working 12+ hours on your farm? Neen James, a productivity expert and granddaughter of an Australian dairy farmer, provides a guest blog on how you can make more of your day with 15 minute increments.
Guest mom blogger MRS writes of her husband’s desire to work and raise kids on the family farm.
Did you know Facebook, Twitter, Skype and YouTube can help students learn? Amanda Sollman, a future agriculture education teacher and product of Michigan FFA, pens a guest post about her experience learning from others in agriculture. Social media has helped her be a leader with an educated opinion – and a voice in online conversations about our food system.
An agriculture education teacher and FFA advisor writes a guest post about the continuing need to share agriculture’s story – and defend his teaching profession. Drew Bender has found science, education and agricultural chats essential to his professional learning – and that of his students. He explains how he got started in social media and why it’s important in his classroom.
Sharing agriculture’s messages I was...
What is a professional speaker, anyhow? And why does it matter to agriculture? Michele has learned that passion connects different worlds and explains how she once shied away from talking with other speakers about food and farming. She also asks you for help in telling the story this Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. Eastern – and yes, there is a picture of shoes.