Michael Birchard is the co-owner of Frog Tree Farm, Minnesota’s oldest Black-owned farm, which he runs with his spouse of over thirty years. The farm, part of his spouse’s family heritage, serves as a base for their work, which extends beyond farming to focus on violence prevention strategies in the Northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities and fostering understanding between rural and urban communities through farm retreats.

Birchard has had a distinguished career as an instructor and administrator. He served as the inaugural vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Mitchell Hamline School of Law and spent over twenty years at North Hennepin Community College. At North Hennepin, he advised several student affinity groups, helped found numerous organizations, and developed courses centered on social justice, equity, and antiracism. One notable course he created is the Dave Larsen American Indian Immersion Experience, named after his mentor and friend.

Currently, Birchard is an adjunct professor at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, where he teaches a master’s course on Human Relations, Cultural Diversity, and American Indian Culture. During his tenure at Inver Hills Community College and Dakota County Technical College, he initiated an American Indian advisory council and helped create a racial equity policy, among other equity-focused initiatives. Following the murder of George Floyd, he collaborated with Inver Hills’ law enforcement program to integrate antiracism and community service instruction.

Birchard is also an early member of the Minnesota State Indigenous Men and Men of Color Workgroup, which aims to recruit and retain Indigenous men and men of color within the Minnesota State system.