08/25/2026
This…….
We don’t have to agree or even like leadership on some levels, but we are always called to lift them up to the one that knows all.🤍
A Message from CEO and Founder of Ag Women Connect ~ Venessa Wood~
"I'M IN YOUR CORNER"
Usually, we share our Christian message on Tuesdays, but this has been on my heart for the last several days, and I feel called to say it today and probably more than once this week.
Friday brought big news for American agriculture, especially our cattle producers, when President Trump announced a temporary plan intended to bring down beef prices for American consumers by increasing tariff-free beef imports.
And yes, I have concerns.
I believe we MUST continue standing up for our American farmers and ranchers. We must ask questions. We must advocate. We must make sure the people taking the risks, raising the cattle, feeding this country, and trying to rebuild the American cow herd have a voice at the table.
But something else immediately came to my mind:
How can I pray for the people carrying the responsibility of leadership right now?
The more I have stepped into leadership myself, the more I understand that leadership comes with great tremendous weight.
Building Ag Women Connect from the ground up has required faith, prayer, hope, perseverance, and more conversations with God than I could ever count. Leadership has taught me that sometimes you are standing in rooms where decisions are difficult, circumstances are complicated, and you are carrying responsibilities that people on the outside may never fully see.
That is why one of my first thoughts was:
How can I pray for President Trump & Secretary Brooke Rollins?
Not once did I feel the need to throw them under the bus.
I thought about the position Brooke Rollins is in. I thought about the responsibility she carries as Secretary of Agriculture and as an advisor to the President. And I thought about how much our leaders need people who aren't just in their circle—but truly in their corner.
There is a difference.
Being in someone's corner doesn't mean blindly agreeing with every decision.
It means you can disagree.
You can ask hard questions.
You can stand firmly for what you believe is right.
You can advocate fiercely for American agriculture.
And you PRAY for them and help them through difficult times.
You can still extend grace.
You can still choose humility over a knee-jerk reaction.
As a leader of a National Christian organization representing women in agriculture, I feel strongly about this.
Our response cannot be to immediately attack, divide, or destroy one another when we disagree. That is something I have personally advocated for years.
We have to be better than that.
Take time.
Ask questions.
Look at the bigger picture.
Stand your ground.
Speak truth.
Protect American agriculture.
But do it with grace, patience, wisdom, and humility.
And PRAY.
Pray for President Trump.
Pray for Secretary Rollins.
Pray for those advising them.
Pray for our cattle producers.
Pray for our small farmers and ranchers who are carrying tremendous risk.
Pray for wisdom in the decisions that affect our food supply and rural America.
We can absolutely fight for the American cattle producer.
But we don't have to destroy people while doing it.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.” — James 1:5
There will be more difficult conversations ahead. This certainly won't be the last one.
So let's keep moving forward.
Let's keep showing up.
Let's keep having a seat at the table.
And let's remember that sometimes the strongest thing we can do for someone carrying a heavy responsibility is simply say:
I'm in your corner, and I'm praying for you.🙏🌾🇺🇸
I'll be talking much more about this and Policy on Ag Talk: Your Story Matters and on our Rural Radio Network show on Channel 143.
Your Story Matters.
Venessa Wood
