Ag Women Connect "Ag Talk, Your Story Matters!"

Venessa Wood
  • 5.0 (9)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

"Ag Talk, Your Story Matters" is America's Platform for Women in Agriculture to share their thoughts, ideas and stories! This is a safe space for everyone in agriculture, no matter what their role is, to come together and have real and raw conversations with each other! We feature our AWC members, guest speakers, and current  topics across the nation that affect our agriculture industry.  Our goal is to include others into our discussions. We invite YOU to be a part of our conversation every week.  Join us! 

  1. 1D AGO

    Kristen York: Bridging the Insurance Industry and Equine Passions

    Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode, Venessa Wood interviews Kristen York of Remuda Insurance Group from Weatherford, Texas, about her path in agriculture and the equine industry. Kristin shares growing up in California with a farming background, pursuing horses and softball, playing at Colorado State, and choosing the equine science path. After college she moved to Wyoming, spent 25 years ranching, showing cutters and reined cow horses, and raising her son, a successful young trainer. Following a divorce and increased time in Texas through NCHA/NRCHA involvement, she entered equine insurance, emphasizing relationships and education. Kristen explains mortality, major medical eligibility, colic surgery coverage, claim requirements like veterinarian reports/necropsy, and common loss scenarios. She describes founding Remuda Insurance Group with three partners, their nationwide licensing, focus on grassroots horse communities, and discusses her stallion and lessons from multiple performance disciplines. Support the show Thank you for joining us at Ag Talk hosted by Ag Women Connect! America's Platform for Women in Agriculture. " Your Story Matters." We love recognizing our women in this industry! Go to www.agwomenconnect.com to find out a little more about us, and how you can connect with other women in agriculture! Want to be a speaker? You can reach us at AgWomenConnect@gmail.com Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

    51 min

  2. MAY 19

    Three Farm Daughters: Cultivating Community and Innovation in the Pasta Aisle

    Send us Fan Mail This week on the podcast, Venessa interviews Mollie Ficocello, Co-Founder of 3 Farm Daughters, a North Dakota, Red River Valley farm family pasta brand founded by three sisters who returned to the farm after careers in marketing/finance, law, and beauty. They created a clean-label, high-fiber pasta after noticing their high-fiber wheat was going only into commodity markets, and they built the brand with a standout farm pink/peach box, minimal ingredients (wheat flour and durum semolina), and a farm-to-table story.  After self-distributing to local retailers, learning packaging and shelf-fit lessons, and moving production back to North Dakota, Whole Foods became their first major retail partner; they now sell online and through retailers including Whole Foods, Meijer, Central Market, United, and select Target placements. Mollie discusses juggling motherhood and business, advice to “launch before you’re ready,” and plans to expand beyond pasta into other pantry staples from their farm. Venessa closes by emphasizing AgTalk’s focus on guests’ stories, women’s growing role in agriculture, faith and “being the light.  Learn more about 3 Farm Daughters pasta here: https://3farmdaughters.com/ Support the show Thank you for joining us at Ag Talk hosted by Ag Women Connect! America's Platform for Women in Agriculture. " Your Story Matters." We love recognizing our women in this industry! Go to www.agwomenconnect.com to find out a little more about us, and how you can connect with other women in agriculture! Want to be a speaker? You can reach us at AgWomenConnect@gmail.com Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

    51 min

  3. MAY 12

    Transforming K-12 Education with Ashley Cash

    Send us Fan Mail Venessa Wood is joined by guest Ashley Cash, who discusses her work to reshape K–12 education based on her children’s learning differences (dyslexia, ADHD, processing delays, dysgraphia) and her experience with private schooling and outside testing that revealed an eye-tracking disorder; she plans Texas legislation for universal eye-tracking screening and therapy. Cash argues the system’s watered-down curriculum and social promotion undermine reading, math, communication, critical thinking, and work ethic, and supports more practical instruction such as required personal financial literacy (Texas HB 27, class of 2030) and “adulting” topics like contracts and insurance.  The conversation turns to policy and elections, explaining support for congressional candidate Abraham Enriquez over lobbyist Tom, and addresses AI data center impacts on land, water, energy, and trades. Cash also details helping pass Texas funding for ibogaine FDA trials for veterans’ PTSD, addiction, depression, and TBI, tied to Texas universities, and notes President Trump’s related executive order. Support the show Thank you for joining us at Ag Talk hosted by Ag Women Connect! America's Platform for Women in Agriculture. " Your Story Matters." We love recognizing our women in this industry! Go to www.agwomenconnect.com to find out a little more about us, and how you can connect with other women in agriculture! Want to be a speaker? You can reach us at AgWomenConnect@gmail.com Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

    1h 2m

  4. MAY 5

    Clay McKesson on Legacy, Faith, and Entrepreneurship

    Send us Fan Mail This week, Venessa Wood talks with Clay McKesson on Ag Talk. Clay, vice president of the faith-based Western Legacy Project, describes how it formed quickly and its youth timed-event rodeo camp May 18–21 at Parker County Sheriff’s Posse Arena, with vetted counselors, nightly faith discussions, and events including breakaway, barrels, steer wrestling, calf roping, team roping, poles, goat tying, and added horsemanship. He lists elite clinicians such as Hailey Kinsel, Haley Williams, Strand Smith, Billy Bob Brown, Wesley Thorp, Rayna Chavez, and horsemanship with Chris Cox and Nate Iker. Clay also discusses leading the Ranch Horse Association of America (RHAA), its May finals at the Western Heritage Classic in Abilene, and a new point-based format. He shares his Texas-made Rock & J barbecue sauce business growth into grocery chains and gives his contact info.  Support the show Thank you for joining us at Ag Talk hosted by Ag Women Connect! America's Platform for Women in Agriculture. " Your Story Matters." We love recognizing our women in this industry! Go to www.agwomenconnect.com to find out a little more about us, and how you can connect with other women in agriculture! Want to be a speaker? You can reach us at AgWomenConnect@gmail.com Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

    51 min

  5. APR 28

    Meet the Founders of 'From the Farm', AJ and Jessica Richards

    Send us Fan Mail This week, Vanessa Wood talks with Jessica and AJ Richards about their story, marriage, and their business, From the Farm. High school sweethearts married at 19, the couple now raises three daughters. AJ shares how a new generation of farmers is doing things differently through direct-to-consumer sales, social media, and regenerative practices. After COVID exposed weaknesses in the food supply chain, they moved to Cody, Wyoming, where AJ began building a more direct path from producer to consumer. Through From the Farm, their mission is to help farmers keep more of what they earn while creating a more connected, transparent food system—“shake the hand that feeds you.” Support the show Thank you for joining us at Ag Talk hosted by Ag Women Connect! America's Platform for Women in Agriculture. " Your Story Matters." We love recognizing our women in this industry! Go to www.agwomenconnect.com to find out a little more about us, and how you can connect with other women in agriculture! Want to be a speaker? You can reach us at AgWomenConnect@gmail.com Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

    51 min

  6. APR 21

    The Path to Entrepreneurship with Hannah Skoog

    Send us Fan Mail Ag Talk host, Venessa Wood, interviews Hannah Skoog of Stephenville, Texas, who connected with Ag Women Connect through a women’s tour of the 6666 Stallion Barn and now helps with t-shirts and merch. Hannah shares how she grew up in suburban DFW, returned to horses at Texas Tech after burnout from an academia-only focus, and was humbled while learning horsemanship, eventually buying her first horse and earning an equine science certificate.  She pursued a Master's at Tarleton State University focused on equine nutrition, built industry connections, and began offering equine photography. Living and interning with mentor Lorna Neal at LJ Equine, Hannah helps with barn work and foaling services while testing media analytics. Together, they launched Rollback Designs, a western/stock-horse niche apparel and graphic design business. Tune in today to hear her whole story! Support the show Thank you for joining us at Ag Talk hosted by Ag Women Connect! America's Platform for Women in Agriculture. " Your Story Matters." We love recognizing our women in this industry! Go to www.agwomenconnect.com to find out a little more about us, and how you can connect with other women in agriculture! Want to be a speaker? You can reach us at AgWomenConnect@gmail.com Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

    51 min

  7. APR 14

    Land Rights and Policy in American Agriculture with Jim Mundorf and Shad Sullivan, host of Lonesome Lands

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Ag Talk, Venessa Wood hosts a special session with cattle rancher and policy advocate Shad Sullivan and Iowa farmer/media creator Jim Mundorf to discuss agricultural policy, property rights, and public lands. Sullivan recounts losing his ranch operation in a 1999 Colorado land grab and says it propelled him into advocacy against what he views as bureaucratic corruption, sustainable development, and production control; Mundorf describes growing up on an Iowa farm and founding Lonesome Lands to cover concentrated agriculture and related issues.  They argue attacks on private property and grazing/water rights are widespread, tied to ESG, conservation, and rewilding ideologies, and emphasize local leadership such as county commissioners. They also discuss carbon pipelines, eminent domain, data centers raising land prices, and support USDA’s revised voluntary “Product of USA” label requiring born, raised, and harvested in the U.S., while saying mandatory country-of-origin labeling remains a goal. They close by sharing where to find Mundorf’s work and reflecting on the burdens and motivation of advocacy. Support the show Thank you for joining us at Ag Talk hosted by Ag Women Connect! America's Platform for Women in Agriculture. " Your Story Matters." We love recognizing our women in this industry! Go to www.agwomenconnect.com to find out a little more about us, and how you can connect with other women in agriculture! Want to be a speaker? You can reach us at AgWomenConnect@gmail.com Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

    51 min

  8. MAR 31

    The Brutal Reality of Wild Horse Management with Jenny Lesieutre

    Send us Fan Mail This week, Venessa Wood sat down with retired BLM veteran Jenny Lesieutre about the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and today’s wild horse and burro crisis. Jenny outlines the act’s origins, key amendments (including FLPMA allowing helicopters, adoption authority, AML requirements, and the Burns Amendment), and says horse and burro numbers have far exceeded appropriate management levels: about 85,500 on-range as of March 1 (not counting foals) plus roughly 60,000–63,000 in holding.  She argues that overpopulation is degrading rangelands, displacing wildlife, and reducing legal grazing, while taxpayer costs have risen from about $38 million to $144 million. Jenny criticizes animal activist groups, discusses restrictions on euthanasia and slaughter policy riders, and advocates following the law as written, increasing adoptions/sales, gathering to reach AML, and using fertility control only once numbers are manageable. She also mentions her documentary “Hell Bent” and how to contact her.  Support the show Thank you for joining us at Ag Talk hosted by Ag Women Connect! America's Platform for Women in Agriculture. " Your Story Matters." We love recognizing our women in this industry! Go to www.agwomenconnect.com to find out a little more about us, and how you can connect with other women in agriculture! Want to be a speaker? You can reach us at AgWomenConnect@gmail.com Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

    51 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

"Ag Talk, Your Story Matters" is America's Platform for Women in Agriculture to share their thoughts, ideas and stories! This is a safe space for everyone in agriculture, no matter what their role is, to come together and have real and raw conversations with each other! We feature our AWC members, guest speakers, and current  topics across the nation that affect our agriculture industry.  Our goal is to include others into our discussions. We invite YOU to be a part of our conversation every week.  Join us! 

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