Leading Forward: Nobody Warned You About This Part
You inherited and invested in the land, the equipment, and a legacy worth protecting. Nobody warned you that you'd also inherit a public relations problem, a mental health crisis, and a world where AI and social media are telling your story without you. It's time to lead forward – on your terms.
You didn't choose agriculture because it was easy. You chose it because it matters. But somewhere between taking over the operation and trying to keep up with everything else, it got complicated in ways nobody prepared you for.
You're fielding questions about GMOs at the county fair while trying to close on a loan. You're watching misinformation about your farming practices go viral while you're in the cab of a tractor at 11 p.m. You're burning out quietly because you were raised to handle it — and asking for help still feels like admitting failure. And now there's AI generating content about modern agriculture that your consumers are reading and believing, whether it's accurate or not.
This is the reality of young and beginning farmers, emerging agribusiness leaders, and the next generation of agricultural advocates. The challenges are real. The stakes are high. And the people who came before you — as much as they love you — didn't navigate this exact world.
That's where Leading Forward comes in.
Michele Payn has spent 25 years investing in agriculture's next generation — raising millions of dollars for FFA and 4-H, coaching Young Dairy Leaders, developing international agricultural leadership programs, and building the communities that gave early agvocates their voice. She lives on a small Indiana farm, breeds registered Holsteins, and has spent her career in the room with the people who feed the world. She knows what it feels like to have to prove yourself in an industry that's simultaneously your passion and your pressure.
Leading Forward is a high-energy, deeply practical keynote and workshop designed for young farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness leaders who are ready to stop reacting and start leading — with confidence, clarity, and the tools to actually make it stick.
This isn't a pep talk. It's a playbook.
Michele Payn, CSP, cuts through the noise around food, farming, and the people who feed us. As principal of Cause Matters Corp., she's spent 25 years empowering voices from farm to food - authoring four award-winning books, working across six continents, and raising millions for 4-H and FFA. One of only 900 people worldwide to hold the Certified Speaking Professional designation, Michele also has degrees in Agricultural Communications & Animal Science from Michigan State University. When she's not speaking for agriculture and food audiences, she's on her Indiana farm with registered Holsteins, wildflowers, and her city-slicker husband.
The problems Michele's young farmer & rancher keynote addresses:
Are you watching others tell agriculture's story while you stay silent?
Do you know what AI is saying about your farm – and how to change it?
Are you carrying stress that nobody in your operation talks about?
Do you struggle to respond to food critics without sounding defensive – or giving up?
Are you leading others before you've figured out how to make knowledge really matter?
Why the next generation of farmers and leaders trust Michele Payn
Michele Payn, CSP – one of 900 Certified Speaking Professionals worldwide – brings a rare combination to every stage: 25+ years working across six continents with agricultural organizations and agribusinesses, two agricultural degrees from Michigan State University, and four award-winning books endorsed by Harvard Business School's Agribusiness Program, and the International Food Information Council. She founded two of agriculture's most influential social media communities, hosted the Food Bullying Podcast with 140+ episodes, and raised $5M+ for FFA and 4-H. She understands the business of agriculture because she's invested her life's work in it. She still farms in central Indiana today – and she knows what it means to carry agriculture forward.
Four award-winning books · 25+ countries · 120+ podcast episodes · $5M+ raised for FFA & 4-H · Farmer
What your audience will learn from this interactive speaker:
- Who they are as a farm leader: clarity on their own story, values, and voice before they try to champion agriculture to anyone else
- Why people believe what they believe: the neuroscience behind emotional food decisions, and how to connect with skeptical audiences without losing the argument or the relationship
- What AI is saying about their operation: and the simple, consistent actions that put authentic agricultural voices back into the digital conversation
- How to have the hard conversations: a practical framework for navigating everything from hostile social media comments to Thanksgiving table debates to policy discussions, without burning bridges or burning out
- How to manage stress as a business skill – proactive, science-backed tools to identify chronic stressors before they become a crisis, because leaders who burn out can't lead
- How to build an action plan that's actually theirs: not a generic talking points document, but a personalized strategy built around their operation, their community, and their own voice
Michele helps young farmers & ranchers think differently & be:
- Equipped with a personal advocacy framework they can use immediately — face-to-face, on social media, or in a policy setting
- Empowered with practical understanding of how AI is shaping public perception about agriculture, and what to do about it
- Armed with a proactive stress management plan using Michele's SMART framework
- Inspired to lead from their own identity rather than reacting to everyone else's agenda
- Connected to a peer community of emerging leaders who are navigating the same world — because realizing you're not alone is often the most powerful outcome of all
The next generation of farmers trusts Michele Payn
Michele Payn, CSP – one of fewer than 900 Certified Speaking Professionals worldwide – has invested in the next generation of agricultural leaders her entire career. She grew up on a dairy farm, earned degrees in Agricultural Communications and Animal Science from Michigan State University, and has raised $5M+ for FFA and 4-H through strategic community development. She founded two of agriculture's earliest and most influential social media communities, hosts the Food Bullying Podcast with 140+ episodes, and has worked with young farmers and agribusiness leaders across 25+ countries. She still farms in central Indiana today – and she knows what it means to carry agriculture forward.
CSP · Four award-winning books · $5M+ raised for FFA & 4-H · 25+ countries · Farmer
Contact Michele today to bring Leading Forward to your young farmer event, agricultural leadership institute, or emerging leader summit. If your next generation is ready to lead – Michele will make sure they're prepared, in spite of what nobody warned them about.
Available as: Keynote (60–90 min) | Half-day workshop | Multi-session leadership institute component
Ideal for: Farm Bureau young farmer and rancher programs | Agriculture Future of America | FFA alumni | Agricultural leadership institutes | Commodity organization emerging leader programs | Farm credit young producer conferences | Young agribusiness professionals
Take-home tools: Personal advocacy action plan | SMART stress management framework | Agriculture's Growth Journal & Food Bullying book (optional add-ons)
Ready to bring Leading Forward to your next conference or leadership program?
Cut through the noise: science-backed farm & food resources
Food Truths and Consumer Trust
Farm to Fork Communication
Sustainable Agriculture and Science
