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More Feature Articles

January 2010
-Creature-Focused Careers
-Former Members Reflect: Dr. Dwight Armstrong
-Levy Randolph
-Safety on Speed Dial
-Preserving Their Culture
-Off and Away

November 2009
-Former Members Reflect: Emilie Bocker
-Turn That Down!
-Car Smarts
-So Much Cooler Online
-Laila Hajji
-The Water Way
-A Greater Cause

June 2009
-Stretch Your Summer Income
-Riley Branch
-Turn That Down
-Behind-The-Scenes Star

May 2009
-Welcoming Women
-Regina Holliday
-Job Interview Jitters
-So Much Cooler Online
-Questioning Your College Choices?

-A Can-Do Attitude
-Former Members Reflect: Michele Payn-Knoper

April 2009
-Hannah Crossen
-Cowboy Book With a Cause
-From FFA to 33Miles
-There’s Cash in Your Future
-I’m Angry…Now What?
-For the Love of Landscaping
-Perfect Balance
-Gardening For A Cause

February 2009
-Blue-Ribbon Banjo Player
-FFA as an Art Form
-Wild About Animals
-Nessie Early
-Be a PAL
-Full Throttle
-Living to Serve
-Special Invitation

January 2009
-All About National FFA Week
-Paul Moya
-Justin Floyd
-Partners for the Planet
-Finding Balance
-Swimming in Aquaculture
-Breaking Records
-Take It Slow

December 2008
-National FFA convention to rotate homes

November 2008
-Dr. Al Snyder
-Scholarship Secrets
-Gear Up for National FFA Week
-Kari Boettcher
-Resist Peer Pressure
-Good to the Last Crop
-All Creatures, Great and Small
-Sparking Interest

September 2008
-Agriculture Accuracy
-Crissa Fruechte
-Brady Revels
-Get Up!
-Proceed With Caution
-All in Good Taste
-Clutch Performance
-Step Right Up

July 2008
-Take It to a New Level
-Deep-Rooted Interest
-Take a Deep Breath
-Tyler Tenbarge
-Inspired by FFA
-On the Right Track

May 2008
-In the Vault
-Your Money: Keeping Records
-National Officer Q&A
-We’re All Unique
-Best in Show
-Grab Life by the Reins

March 2008
-Call to Order!
-Reality Check
-Turtle Power
-By the Numbers
-Dale Darling
-A Token of Appreciation
-National Officer Q&A

January 2008
-National Officer Q&A
-Back Talk: Paul McCutchan
-Building Bright Futures

November 2007
-National Officer Q&A
-Back Talk: Corey Flournoy
-Biofuels Mean Business
-Go, Team, Go
-A Tractor Tradition

October 2007
-National Officer Q&A
-Back Talk: Kristie VerMulm
-Give them an A+
-Cranberry Crazy
-Racing to Indy

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FFA Feature

Former Members Reflect: Michele Payn-Knoper

Agriculture advocate and FFA alumna

May 2009

If you ask Michele Payn-Knoper what she does, her simple answer is “run around the world talking a lot.” As a professional speaker, author and consultant, she works to give a voice to the people who feed the world. And it’s an appropriate gig for her. Payn-Knoper is no newcomer to agriculture; she grew up on a dairy cattle operation and served as the Michigan FFA Secretary. Learn more about her unique career.

Q What does your company, Cause Matters Corp., do?

A I work with people in production agriculture and agribusiness to speak out more effectively to build a connection between the farm gate and consumer plate. Check out my website to learn more at www.mpk.info.

Recently I began offering keynotes and workshops for FFA conventions and leadership conferences with a friend who was in a neighboring FFA chapter. You never know when your fellow FFA members will come back into your life!

Q In what specific ways did FFA help prepare you for this type of career?

A FFA transformed me from being painfully shy to falling in love with speaking on the stage of the Michigan FFA Convention. The leadership skills taught at all levels of FFA continue to serve as the foundation for my life. People I met in FFA have been responsible for literally taking my career around the world. I’m exceedingly thankful for those people and experiences!

Q Why do you think it’s important for FFA members to join in agricultural advocacy and educating consumers about their food?

A Regardless of whether your interests are in landscaping, food science, forestry, raising livestock or planting crops – understand you have a story to tell about agriculture. More than 98 percent of people have no direct connection to the production of food, feed, fuel or fiber – which means you need to help educate them.

Groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Sierra Club have actively targeted youth. FFA members across the nation need to be speaking up to help get the word out that American agriculture does the right thing for the right reasons. The reality is that if you don’t, consumer misunderstanding will drive the future of our business and limit your opportunities.

Q Recently, you’ve utilized social media to help champion the agricultural cause. What role do you think social media can play in spreading any message – whether it’s an agricultural one or maybe even something a local FFA chapter is promoting?

A Teenagers understand the value of “creating a community” through social media better than anyone. How can you take it to a different level? For example, what about a Facebook group for your chapter, your program of activities or the agricultural message? Or, how about “tweeting” on Twitter about a teenager’s perspective on agriculture? What about posting well-written chapter stories on Digg or creating a blog for your chapter. Social media give us the power to quickly and easily reach millions to tell agriculture’s story. See “Connecting Food Consumers & Producers” or Cause Matters Corp. on Facebook for examples.

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