Progressive Publishing is pleased to welcome Michelle Stangler as a summer editorial intern for Progressive Dairy. In this position, she will be writing news articles and feature stories, as well as assisting with social media and the Progressive Dairy Podcast.
Stangler grew up on a small dairy farm, Shel-Valley Vue, in Watertown, Wisconsin, where she was responsible for milking, feeding and taking care of the herd. Since a young age, her parents instilled a passion for the dairy industry which drew Stangler to storytelling.
“Connecting with dairy farmers and those in the related industry is why I love helping tell the story of agriculture,” Stangler says. “Being part of the agricultural community inspires me to grow my storytelling skills, and I am excited for the opportunity to grow at Progressive Publishing.”
The community she grew up in, showing dairy cattle with her sisters in addition to family and friends at the county fair, fuels her involvement in the dairy industry.
Stangler was also active in both 4-H and the National FFA Organization. After graduating from Watertown High School, Stangler served as the 2019-20 Wisconsin FFA state vice president. During that year, she was also part of the National FFA #SpeakAg Pioneer (formerly ambassador) program.
Most recently, she interned with Wisconsin’s dairy checkoff organization, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, as a farmer communications intern. Stangler has also engaged in numerous other programs such as interning in the marketing department with Sound Agriculture, being a social media intern for Genex Cooperative, working as a marketing intern with Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association and being a farm broadcaster intern with the Mid-West Farm Report. She also worked at previous National FFA Convention and Expos as a radio reporter.
With a love for multimedia, Stangler has experience working with newspapers, radio stations such as WRDN and podcasts including Positivity in Ag.
This fall, Stangler will be a senior at the University of Wisconsin – River Falls, where she studies agricultural marketing communications and journalism with a minor in agricultural business. She has been actively involved in various organizations on campus including the dairy club, the Collegiate Farm Bureau serving as an Ag Day on Campus co-chair and reporter, her on-campus radio station WRFW-FM 88.7 as a student program manager and co-founder of the Agricultural and Natural Resources Communications Club.
Stangler is a student member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting and serves as the president of the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. In addition to serving in multiple organizations, she also is part of the National Dairy Shrine social media committee.
“I’m beyond excited to hear and write stories about the dairy industry for our readers, and I am looking forward to contributing my skills to Progressive Publishing’s success this summer,” Stangler says.
“We are thrilled to have Michelle join our editorial team this summer,” says Progressive Dairy Managing Editor Karen Lee. “Her passion for dairy farming and storytelling is evident in the work she does. We look forward to applying her multimedia skills in developing content for our print, digital and audio audiences.”
