Michael Torrey Associates has hired Barbara Patterson as director of government affairs and Marissa Dake as an administrative assistant.

As director of government affairs, Patterson will represent clients on agriculture and food policy issues. She has been the government relations director for the National Farmers Union, where her portfolio included trade, nutrition and food safety.

While at NFU, Patterson advocated on behalf of farmers and rural communities before Congress and the administration, covering trade, nutrition, and food safety.

Patterson also managed a cooperative agreement between the National Farmers Union and the Food and Drug Administration to provide education and outreach to local food producers and processors on food safety and the Food Safety Modernization Act.,

A Michigan native, Patterson is a University of Michigan graduate, and also earned a master's degree in agriculture and nutrition policy from Tufts University.

Dake, a native of Kansas, is a 2017 graduate of Washburn University in Topeka. She has served in administrative roles for Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and has managed programs and events with Doxazo Ministries and the Washburn University Leadership Institute.

The Torrey firm offers government relations, strategic communications, issue advocacy and association management services to clients in the food, agriculture, and forestry sector.