“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
PhD microbiologist Dr. Andrea Love explains why pasteurized milk is safe, why raw milk isn’t worth the risk, and how chemophobia and food anxiety are driving consumers toward decisions the science doesn’t support – essential listening for dietitians and agricultural organizations.
Utah cattle producer Brady Blackett explains artificial insemination in cattle, why grass-fed beef isn’t nutritionally superior, how AI improves animal welfare and feed efficiency, and the surprising connection between cattle reproductive science and human fertility medicine.
Derek Josi is approaching one million social media followers as a dairy farmer who doesn’t ignore misinformation – because silence makes it worse. He addresses the dairy case questions consumers are actually asking: is there pus in milk, what do water usage statistics really mean, and are dairy alternatives nutritionally equivalent to milk?
RDN Lauren Twigge believes dietitians need to become more educated on agriculture so that they can guide consumers and not add to further confusion. Growing up on a dairy and being raised around farming her whole life has given Lauren a unique perspective on where our food comes from and her passion is to work at the crux of agriculture and human nutrition to fight misinformation and give consumers back their food confidence.
This episode features a wide-ranging conversation with a veterinarian about how farmers care for their animals, the challenges of being a vet, and the story of Fairlife Milk.
What’s with the claims about glyphosate in hummus & cereal? Why is there so much blame and fear about agriculture and the environment? What can we do to eat better when we are eating dorm food? In this special behind-the-scenes episode, Michele and Eliz welcome Callie (Eliz’s daughter) for a wide-ranging Q&A session. Callie Greene is about to begin her second year at Lawrence University, where she studies psychology and harp performance.
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.
How do I know if my milk is expired? Should I throw out the can of fruit from my pantry that’s dated a month ago? Is my meat expired? How am I supposed to wash my groceries? These are all common questions I’ve heard from friends concerned about their food during a global pandemic.
As we all cope with stay-at-some orders due to COVID-19, cooking and grocery shopping have become more challenging. In this special episode, Registered Dietitians Alice Henneman and Liz Ward share tips for stocking your fridge, pantry, and freezer while sharing quick meal ideas.
Are dairy farmers crazy? Maybe, but it’s because they always put their cows first. Derrick Josi, known as TDF Honest Farming, is an Oregon dairy farmer encouraging other farmers to bridge the gap with consumers – and understand the divide goes both ways. He talks about his little brown cows, while Michele accuses him of being a cow racist. Derrick shares the mental health impact of bullying by activists, how he actually cares for cows, and the work that goes into producing healthy milk.
Artificial insemination. Vegetarian choices. The Oscars. STDs. Greenhouse gas emissions. Baby calves. Nursing. Starbucks. Nutrient density of food. Personal choices.
If those topics don’t add up to a civil conversation in your mind, listen in for a model on how to have a discussion around food and the environment that’s respectful and informative with someone different than you.
Just as it takes more than one formula to create a latte at Starbucks, sustainability includes multiple ingredients. Sustainability in food production takes a big picture look at the environment, the ability of family businesses to succeed long-term and contribute to their local communities – AND the nutrition value food brings to society. Expanding plant-based beverages does not necessarily mitigate climate change, but it does have consequences – many that impact farmers in a mental health crisis.
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Have you ever felt judged for what’s in your grocery cart? Do you wonder whether GMO-free, gluten-free, antibiotic-free, fat-free milk is better than regular milk? Are “natural” Fritos better for you? Does anyone really need organic, natural, hormone-free cat litter? Grocery store marketing is full of food claims that are B.S. (below standard). Five ways to avoid buying B.S. food.
Just as “This Is Us” has created hysteria around slow cookers, “documentaries” have created hysteria around meat and milk. Are we really so unaware the difference between fiction and good television that we can’t recognize reality?
Seeds planted by teachers last a lifetime, whether good or bad. Marketing and bias should not trump science and well-rounded debate in the classroom. Teacher bias deserves the same concern as journalistic bias – a student will never be able to turn off their education the way so many of us have silenced the news. A look at the aftermath of a Chipotle video showed by a 7th grade social studies teacher.
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.
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.
Kim Kotecki has spent the last two and half years being inundated with fear-based marketing about food and nutrition. This guest blogger highlights her confusion about food, frustration with all of the mom GUILT and what she learned by talking to a friend who knows agriculture – farming – firsthand.
Heart attack survivor Eliz Greene shares her journey learning more about food – and why you should not suffer from guilt in the grocery store any longer. This mom discovered most of what she used to believe about food was based upon the front of the package and from the media. Don’t stand at the dairy and meat case in angst – get the facts so you can be set free from food guilt, too!
Blue gets his little hands on a cow for the first time and learns about where his milk comes from now. Guest blogger MRS writes about how the cows were happy to be milked, similar to the relief breastfeeding mothers find.
Michele Payn & Kelly Rivard provide a humorous look of their conversation talking cows, complete with video of Kelly’s first experience touching an udder and milking.
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kathy Swift and I grew up on a dairy farm in northern Virginia. My parents milked 100 Holstein and Jersey cows and I spent many years in 4-H traveling around to county, state and national shows exhibiting my dairy cattle…
Will Gilmer, “The Singing Dairyman” talks with Michele Payn about the ease of uploading YouTube videos from his smartphone when no high-speed internet access is available and how other farmers can do the same to tell their message.
Kelsay Farms, a modern dairy farm just south of Indianapolis, IN, has done an excellent job of helping more people understand food production. I recently asked Amy Kelsay to share her passion educating others about where their food originates. As the first of several producer profiles, I am sharing our interview to showcase those who are championing agriculture on their farm.
Do I need to worry about antibiotics in milk? How are dairy farmers treating calves? Are the animals taken care of so I can feel good about the milk I’m feeding my family? Two videos answer questions about food safety, testing and animal welfare to give you an insider look on a farm.
Perhaps I've become a bit too focused on the...
By popular demand, an inside look at table of contents and 25 food truths from the #1 best seller “Food Truths from Farm to Table.” More than 50 expert contributors bring life to truth in food in this new book, which has been described as approachable and filled with tips to overcome confusion in the grocery store.