Michael Happ

Michael Happ is the program associate for climate and rural communities at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Through advocacy, coalition work, and research, Michael works to ensure that policy helps farmers adapt to the effects of climate change while building economic resilience. Michael has written about oversubscription issues facing federal farmer conservation programs in his Closed Out report series, as well as public conservation dollars going to polluting practices in his Payments for Pollution series. 

Michael previously worked at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, where he was an author of the Farmers’ Guide to the Conservation Stewardship Program. He also has experience working with the National Wildlife Federation, former Representative Tim Walz, and in a bakery, where his favorite thing to bake was banana chocolate chip muffins.

Michael holds a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in Educational Studies from Carleton College. Michael was raised on a farm near Mendota, Illinois where he showed Hereford cattle and was active in 4-H. His family still farms row crops and raises cattle there.