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

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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. 

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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 [email protected]

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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

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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 [email protected]

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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 [email protected]

Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

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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 [email protected]

Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

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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 [email protected]

Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

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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 [email protected]

Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

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This week, Vnessa Wood interviews Oklahoma ag advocate and multi-business owner Cassie Gilman about growing up in northeast Oklahoma in her family’s feed business, 4H/FFA and livestock showing, and later living in Texas. Cassie shares rebuilding her life after a domestic-violent marriage, including a period of homelessness, and how cleaning houses led to social media marketing work, joining Ag Women Connect, and earning her real estate license; she aims to help young buyers find rural property. 

She discusses launching her private-label coffee brand Kickin’ it Java Style through She Brews Coffee, rebranding her podcast to Coffee with Cassie, and marketing advice focused on relationship-building, avoiding negativity, and respectful dialogue. Cassie also outlines goals in ag policy awareness, youth entrepreneurship, and someday raising Shorthorn cattle, emphasizing community over competition. Venessa closes with concerns about President Trump’s 90-day tariff relief for ground beef imports, urging informed advocacy, prayer for leaders, and rejecting division.

00:00 Meet Cassie Gilman

01:00 Roots in Agriculture

03:19 Ag Women Connect Gala

04:42 From Texas to Oklahoma

05:30 Career Pivot to Real Estate

09:00 Rock Bottom to Rebuild

13:12 Faith and Support Circle

14:55 Kickin It Java Style

18:59 Podcast Rebrand and Fear

21:41 Social Media Marketing Tips

24:49 Listening With Respect

25:47 Handling Online Negativity

28:23 Transparency And Realness

29:39 Future Plans In Ag

30:07 Policy Wake Up Call

32:30 Youth Entrepreneurship Dreams

35:23 Refilling Your Cup

39:00 Community Over Competition

42:24 How To Connect With Cassie

43:08 Tariff Relief Fallout

46:22 Graceful Leadership Response

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 [email protected]

Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

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This week, Venessa interviews Emma Hamlin, an Ag Women Connect intern and recent University of Wyoming graduate from Tyler, Texas, about her journey into agriculture and policy. Emma describes growing up “micro-ranching,” switching her college major from psychology to agriculture after a transformative summer as a horse wrangler at Sky Ranch, and gaining industry perspective through a year of meat judging that included visits to major packing plants and learning quality and yield grading. They discuss DOJ scrutiny of the four major meat packers, Emma’s R-CALF scholarship trip where she learned about issues like direct-to-consumer sales, MCOOL, and beef checkoff reform, and the importance of looking beyond headlines. Emma also shares her Wyoming Liberty Group report on nuclear development near public lands, emphasizing safeguards like monitoring and protections for ranchers, and her goal to be a voice for smaller producers.

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 [email protected]

Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

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This week, Venessa welcomes Florida Congresswoman Kat Cammack, the only Floridian on the House Agriculture Committee, discussing her ranch and 4-H background, her work on the House-passed 2026 Farm Bill (including citrus greening research funding through 2031 and disaster payment reform), and her leadership on National Women in Agriculture Day. Cammack describes pressures driving farmland loss to development in Florida, arguing food security is national security, and cites crushing federal regulations, high input and energy costs, and trade and immigration challenges as key threats to family farms. She outlines structural problems with the H-2A guest worker program for year-round specialty crops and rejects amnesty while calling for workable reforms. She highlights the FFA Act to prioritize American-grown foods in SNAP/EBT and the Fresh and Affordable Foods Act to standardize ingredient labeling transparency.

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 [email protected]

Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect

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Venessa Wood welcomes Lori Taylor, founder of The Produce Moms, to share how a career in produce led to building a nationally recognized brand dedicated to getting more fruits and vegetables on every table. They discuss the power of networking, producer partnerships, food safety, common misconceptions about produce, practical kitchen tips, and why food security is essential. Taylor also highlights The Produce Moms' growth, mission, and her "50 States of Agriculture" project.

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 [email protected]

Join our Facebook Group | Connect With us on Instagram | Join Ag Women Connect