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

Venessa Wood
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • 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. 2d ago

    Melanie Wilhelm: From Horse Trainer to Community Advocate

    Send us Fan Mail Today, Venessa interviews longtime friend Melanie Wilhelm of Nazareth, Texas, tracing her path from growing up on horseback and competing in 4-H and rodeo (including a college rodeo scholarship) to training horses full-time and building a 20+ year reining career sparked by Doc Frosty Lena CT. Melanie shares three takeaways from horse training—there’s no single way that works for everyone, managing people is harder than horses, and self-care prevents burnout. She describes transitioning out of horse training into network marketing, personal development, and coaching, and how doing uncomfortable things helped her find her voice.  After a seven-to-eight-month social media break inspired by The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, she returned when a proposed data center near their home and cattle pasture prompted her to advocate for land and agriculture through education. Melanie also discusses ranch business choices that allow travel, especially to Costa Rica, where they built and sold a coastal home and plan to build again inland. 00:00 Welcome Melanie 01:41 Reining Horse Memories 02:47 Growing Up Horseback 04:02 Full Time Trainer Life 06:20 Trainer Lessons Learned 08:15 Moms And Daughters 10:27 Leaving The Barn 14:26 Network Marketing Growth 17:05 Eat That Frog Mindset 18:35 Social Media Detox 21:39 Data Center Wake Up 24:13 Advocacy Takes Off 24:55 Deer Lease Meets Data 26:05 Land Loss and Future Farms 28:05 Standing Up Online 30:13 Block and Bless Mindset 33:28 Back From Break Advocacy 34:06 Traveling Ranch Life Balance 39:12 Why Costa Rica Hooks Them 42:01 Food and Local Culture 45:02 Advice for Ag Advocates 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

  2. Oct 27

    Exploring America's Public Lands: Insights with I Ling Thompson, CEO of the Foundation for America's Public Lands

    Send us Fan Mail This week, Venessa visits with guest I Ling Thompson of Colorado, founder and CEO of the Foundation for America’s Public Lands, whom she met while hosting an event in Wyoming. Thompson explains the foundation’s mission as the charitable partner to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  She outlines how BLM manages about 245 million acres (about 10% of U.S. surface) for multiple uses including grazing, recreation, energy, mining, and wildlife habitat, noting grazing generates $2.9 billion and supports over 36,000 jobs. Created by Congress in 2017, the foundation launched under her as first CEO in October 2023, focusing on access, awareness, and stewardship and delivering about $20–$22 million in impact via federal and private dollars.  Thompson discusses working across administrations, bipartisan governance, and a virtual fencing pilot (15 projects, ~400,000 acres, 6,500 cows) to help producers manage herds and reduce conflicts.  More information: americaslands.org. 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

  3. Oct 20

    Embracing the Season You're In with Joelle Orem + Bonus Interview with Skip Hulett, with NatureSweet

    Send us Fan Mail In this AgTalk: Your Story Matters episode, Venessa interviews Indiana farmer and Ag Women Connect member Joelle Orem about harvest season roles like farm safety, machinery prep, and field meals, then traces Joelle’s path into agriculture through marriage and building a direct-to-consumer beef business that surged in 2020.  Joelle describes opening the Midwest Farm Shop in north central Indiana to reduce deliveries, focusing on proteins like beef and sometimes chicken, plus local items like honey, and partnering with processors for packaging and labeling while learning through experimentation and pivots based on customer preferences.  She emphasizes serving local communities, collaborating with other farmers rather than competing, and scaling back for family.  Plus, don't miss a bonus interview with Skip Hulett, Chief Legal Officer at NatureSweet, to catch up on agriculture policy affecting the snacking tomato industry.  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

  4. Oct 13

    From Academia to Federal Policy: Visiting with Dr. Mindy Brashears on US Food Safety

    Send us Fan Mail This week, Venessa Wood interviews USDA Undersecretary Dr. Mindy Brashears about her transition from nearly 30 years in academia studying foodborne pathogens to overseeing FSIS, highlighting the added demands of regulation, rulemaking, and accountability to Congress and leadership. Brashears describes an unexpected path to Washington through nomination and a lengthy Senate confirmation, plus the personal challenges of relocating her family.  She recounts USDA’s COVID-19 role keeping the food supply chain functioning by helping plants operate safely with CDC/OSHA measures, PPE, testing, and coordinated reopenings, while also noting animal depopulation impacts. They discuss the voluntary Product of the USA label (no FSIS preapproval; applies to all FSIS-inspected species), possible renewed MCOOL efforts, and an executive order expanding support for small processors, including SPUR incentives and upcoming SPUR 2.0 guaranteed loans. Brashears emphasizes beef modernization, science-based practical policy, and USDA’s response to New World screwworm cases. 00:40 From Academia to Policy 02:43 How She Joined USDA 04:42 Family Move and Sacrifice 07:00 COVID Food Supply Fight 12:41 Product of USA Label 15:34 MCOOL and Transparency 19:09 Executive Order Support 23:45 SPUR Program Explained 28:48 Beef Modernization Policy 32:55 Leading Across Administrations 38:48 Screwworm Response Success 43:08 Staying Grounded and Positive 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

  5. Oct 6

    From Kansas Farm Girl to Equine Nutrition: Marissa Rundell’s Unconventional Ag Journey

    Send us Fan Mail This week, Venessa interviews Marissa Rundell of Kansas, a new Ag Women Connect member and marketing/communications specialist for Blue Bonnet Feeds. Marissa shares growing up in northwest Kansas in a farming, cattle, custom-harvesting, and ag-education family, then attending K-State, changing majors, and serving as a coxswain on the rowing team.  While working at a barn, she joined an IHSA equestrian team, became captivated by reined cow horse, left rowing, and moved to Arizona for internships with trainer Grant Lindeman and equine reproduction vet Dr. Jerry Longworth, later training young performance horses independently through 2022. She discusses key horse-training lessons about fairness and controlling emotions and factors in starting horses young. Marissa explains joining Blue Bonnet in 2022, the company’s equine-focused, functional nutrition approach, Intensify feeds, supplement offerings, distribution via Tractor Supply, Chewy, and dealers, and free nutrition consults, including a digital consultant named Blue. 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

  6. Sep 29

    The Ins and Outs of Ranch Bookkeeping with Charla Farris

    Send us Fan Mail This week on Ag Talk, Venessa Wood sits down with Charla Farris of Oklahoma (AgWomen Connect Oklahoma), who shares her Colorado ranching background, move to Oklahoma to expand, and their Sim-Angus replacement-heifer operation using tools like genetic testing. Charla, owner of A Cut Above Business Solutions, discusses bookkeeping and tax basics for producers: use smartphone technology to capture receipts and data, keep business and personal funds separate, choose the right entity structure (LLC vs S-corp taxation and responsibilities), maintain strong books and a business plan for lenders, and avoid buying equipment only to reduce taxes; she explains depreciation (equipment and improvements, not land) and the importance of estate planning, wills/trusts, appraisals, and step-up in basis.  Venessa concludes the episode by recounting AgWomen Connect’s RNC trip, sitting behind and shaking hands with President Trump, and addresses online attacks, spiritual warfare themes, encouragement to speak up, and a push to vote, plus announcements about an Ag Women Connect Gala and the show’s Rural Radio channel. 01:25 Charla’s Ag Roots 03:27 Moving to Oklahoma Ranch Life 04:16 Cattle Program and Genetics 06:00 Numbers Career Origin Story 07:23 Bookkeeping Basics for Producers 09:13 Setting Up a Business Right 10:59 LLC vs S Corp Explained 12:02 Business Plans and Knowing Numbers 14:28 Estate Planning After the Break 19:02 Depreciation and Smart Purchases 21:27 Her Firm and Nonprofit Entities 25:00 Busy Season Balance and Contact Info 27:30 RNC Trip and Behind Trump 38:15 Spiritual Warfare and Online Attacks 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

  7. Sep 22

    Sheep Ranching with Cole Estill and What We Can Do to Support American Ranchers

    Send us Fan Mail Venessa Wood interviews Nevada sheep producer, Cole Estill, originally from Northern California, about his background, rodeo experience, and his family’s agricultural work, including his wife Katie’s veterinary clinic in Winnemucca. Cole explains his unique operation running nearly 3,000 sheep and about 200 Angora goats largely through contracted fire-mitigation grazing near Reno, while another band in eastern Nevada produces income mainly through lamb sales.  He discusses wool and mohair production, volatile sheep markets, and industry pressures, including imported lamb from Australia and New Zealand and efforts to secure tariffs via the USITC and proposed legislation. Cole argues reduced grazing on federal lands has increased fuel loads and worsened wildfires, citing Reno’s Hawk Fire.  This episode also includes Venessa discussing Trump’s temporary tariff-free ground beef imports, producer concerns, local-buying solutions, more processing capacity, heifer retention incentives, and mandatory country-of-origin labeling. 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

  8. Sep 8

    A Real and Raw Conversation About the Impact of AI Data Centers on Agriculture

    Send us Fan Mail This week on AG Talk: Your Story Matters, Venessa speaks with Sarah Falen Tate, an agricultural and natural resources attorney from Wyoming, and Emma Hamlin, a recent graduate who researched nuclear development on public lands, to discuss the pros, cons, and unanswered questions around data centers and related power infrastructure. Emma summarizes her Wyoming Liberty Group policy report recommending statutory protections for grazing permits, evaluation of siting options, and routine radiation monitoring for livestock, crops, water, air, and soil near nuclear facilities.  The conversation weighs whether regulation should be federal versus state/local, highlights water and community impacts, and stresses careful contract review for easements, leases, and land sales. Sarah warns about future eminent domain authority for data centers, urges communities to demand pro-community commitments, and discusses end-of-life environmental concerns. They also raise concerns about foreign adversaries buying land and data security, and encourage public involvement in local government. 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

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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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