“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
If Hannah Craun and Levi Schiller are any indication, the future of farming certainly shines bright in FFA members. While both emphasize the importance of modern agriculture in feeding a growing population, they recognize that certain technologies are misunderstood and hope dietitians can help.
Life on the farm may be a mystery for those of us in urban and suburban areas. One of the best ways to understand where food comes from is to meet the people who grow it. Meet our Food Bullying Podcast editor and find out about her life as a farm kid. Farm kids balance school, sports, service clubs, and helping on the farm. She shares what she’s learned showing dairy cattle in 4-H, including how stubbornness and leverage can move a ton.
If you’ve never experienced a fair from the inside, it’s like final exams and Christmas all wrapped into an intense one or two weeks filled with more sweat and dirt than you can imagine. It’s both exhausting and exhilarating. I have been involved in fairs my entire life, but am always amazed watching 4-H and FFA members learn life lessons through the trials of diligently preparing a project, talking with a judge and then nervously anticipating the outcome. Sometimes, the ribbon is blue. Other times it’s red. And if they’re lucky, the coveted purple or pink ribbons may be put on a project.
The reality is that ribbons fade and are eventually stashed away in boxes, forgotten about. It’s the stories behind the ribbons that are remembered for a lifetime. A look at the care and respect young people give their animals behind the scenes at the fairgrounds.
A personal look at lessons learned on a show halter from a first year in 4-H showing dairy cattle. Win or lose graciously. Persevere. Leverage skills and willpower. Know the needs of individual animals to provide the best care. And yes, part of being in 4-H & FFA is telling the story of your own experience to those “city slickers.”
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.
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.
Guest mom blogger MRS talks about her lack of knowledge of FFA and agriculture despite growing up in a farming community. She encourages those involved in FFA to educate others after learning of the leadership, business & communications skills her husband acquired through ag ed classes and FFA.
Returning home from college for the holidays, guest blogger Laura Padgett writes about her past experiences and the people that helped teach her the significance of agriculture. She also rediscovers the joy of solitude in the barn and reconnecting with those who gave her a passion for ag.
With the 83rd National FFA Convention just around the corner, FFA alumni member Laura Padgett shares her advice to current agriculture education students on how to make the most of their experience. Make the most of your time in Indianapolis and cherish memories to last a lifetime.
Oklahoma State University sophomore Laura Padgett makes her first Gate to Plate blog appearance. She writes about role models of successful agriculturists that show no goal is too ambitious or hard to achieve when working in agriculture.
Since I was raised as a 4-Her and FFA member on...
Taking a look in the rear view mirror, the leadership lessons from FFA have become clearer, reports Michele Payn in reflection about FFA. For example: Follow your passion. It’s the single most valuable life rule FFA taught me. Expect to be bored, unhappy or unsatisfied if you don’t. OR –
Leadership is influence. John Maxwell said it; I learned it the hard way. Leadership is not she who speaks the most eloquently, he with the most friends – it’s about moving people in a singular direction. If you can’t successfully influence others, you can’t lead – regardless of the title on your business card.
This past week (and month) has been consumed by...