Food. Agriculture. Consumers. The Stories That Connect Them.

Invite edible North Dakota Editor & Publisher Melinda Goodman to speak at your next event.

Melinda Goodman has spent more than 30 years at the intersection of agriculture, food, marketing and consumer behavior—helping the people who grow food better understand the people who buy it, and helping consumers better understand where their food comes from.

Born and raised on a North Dakota cattle ranch, Melinda built a career that has taken her from farm fields and packing sheds to grocery aisles, boardrooms and consumer campaigns across North America.

She has worked with growers and agricultural organizations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Colombia and with nationally recognized brands including Disney Consumer Products and Paula Deen. Her work has also put her alongside major retailers including Costco, Kroger, ALDI and Walmart, developing shopper marketing programs designed to turn consumer insights into real-world purchasing decisions.

Along the way, she has helped agriculture and food organizations communicate through some of the industry’s most complicated conversations—from food safety and GMOs to labor, sustainability, changing consumer expectations and the growing divide between the people who produce food and the people who eat it.

Bringing It Home

In 2025, Melinda brought those experiences home as the founder, Editor and Publisher of edible North Dakota.

edible North Dakota celebrates the farmers, ranchers, chefs, makers, entrepreneurs and traditions that shape the way North Dakota eats—and gives Melinda another perspective on a question that has driven her career.

How do we help people feel more connected to their food, the people who produce it and the places they call home?

Melinda brings that perspective to the stage with a mix of real-world experience, storytelling, humor and an unmistakably North Dakota point of view.

Speaking Topics

Melinda can customize presentations for agriculture, food, marketing, business and community audiences. Topics can include:

From Farm Gate to Grocery Cart

What 30 years working between growers, marketers, retailers and consumers has taught Melinda about how people really make food decisions.

The Stories We Tell About Food Matter

Agriculture has more ways than ever to communicate—and sometimes struggles more than ever to connect. A practical look at trust, transparency and telling food and agriculture stories people actually want to hear.

What Consumers Want Next

From health and convenience to sustainability, value and transparency, a look at the consumer shifts changing food—and what they mean for growers, brands and communities.

The Taste of Belonging – The Value of What we Value

Why food is about far more than what’s on the plate, and how it’s value comes from what we value.

Presentations can also be developed around food marketing, agriculture advocacy and communication, consumer trends, rural entrepreneurship, leadership and building stronger connections between agriculture and consumers.

Bring Melinda to Your Event

Planning a conference, annual meeting, community event, panel, workshop or industry gathering?

Let’s talk about your audience and what would make the conversation meaningful for them.

Invite Melinda to Speak →