Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack recently said he won’t run for the U.S. Senate seat opening up when Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin leaves office in 2014.

No matter how you look at it, Pennsylvania’s dairy industry is unique. The Keystone State has ranked among the top five dairy-producing states ever since the USDA started tracking milk production in 1964. However, over the past 10 years, Pennsylvania’s position as a national dairy leader has been slipping.

In the social media realm, Michele Payn-Knoper of Cause Matters Corp. is regarded as an expert of all things “agvocate.”

She has spent more than a decade as a professional speaker training farmers and ranchers on promoting the agricultural industry through tools like Facebook and Twitter and growing relationships with consumers.

In her new book, No More Food Fights!, which was released Feb. 14, 2013, Payn-Knoper could have written directly to foodies, educating them on the many aspects of the agriculture industry today.

Professional speaker and “agvocate” trainer Michele Payn-Knoper has written and released a book intended to bring many voices from across the food chain together for a civilized conversation about what we eat. No More Food Fights! is available for purchase by clicking here.

Progressive Dairyman Editor Emily Caldwell recently caught up with Payn-Knoper (MPK) about the book and her plans to continue the “gate to plate” discussion. Click here to read Caldwell's review of the book.