Rave Reviews
Your “Celebrating Agriculture” presentation was very well received. Participants certainly benefitted from your experience to become a source of information to educate friends, neighbors, consumers, etc. about farming and speak up for the industry. Building relationships – one hour, once a week to champion agriculture was a great message to leave the group with. Your presentation was educational and informative!
Dianne Driessen, COGA, British Columbia, Canada
Michele was Alpha Zeta’s keynote speaker at the National Agricultural Leadership Conference and also presented a workshop to the attendees. She did a phenomenal job. Not only was she engaging in her presentation style, but she also presented great information and ideas on how Alpha Zeta members can improve the perception of agriculture in a way that resonated with the students. Alpha Zeta hasn’t had a speaker like that in quite awhile.
— Brian Reuwee, Drake & Associates
Michele’s presentations “Championing Agriculture” and “Responding to the Rhetoric: Overcoming Activist Claims” were the highlight of our National Corn Grower’s Association (NCGA) meeting. Many of our attendees, which included state association staff and grower recruiters, came away from the meeting impressed and energetic about their industry. The six and one-half points to remember when championing agriculture resonated very well and are used by our attendees in their membership recruitment and community relations efforts.
— Byron Keelin
The exercises that Michele had us do, interviewing strangers and building bridges with food, helped us all get over some of our self-consciousness.
— Minnesota Farmer
Wow! Dynamic, enthusiastic, energetic right on target, and exemplary are just a few ways to describe Michele and her talents. The custom designed workshops and general session that Michele provided were incredible.
— Dan Durheim, American Farm Bureau Federation
It is rare to have a person customize their efforts to our precise needs the way you do…I would have to recommend you to anyone that is really serious about strengthening his or her customer skills work with you. Your ability to identify needs and help a staff develop their own solutions is the best I have seen.
— Dan Lauwers, Eastern Michigan Grain
Thank you for touching our hearts, opening our minds and literally letting us kick up our heels.
— Wisconsin Association of Fairs
Michele, your presentation on championing agriculture provided solid suggestions for how participants can approach the communications challenges they constantly face… you took an issue that’s very near and dear to their hearts, yet very general, and gave them practical steps and tools for creating high-impact messages for specific audiences.
— Mary Foley Balvanz, Iowa Farm Bureau
You have a special gift to inspire others to champion their cause. I went home and shared your message with my family and friends!
— Judy Isaacson, Iowa State University Extension
