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July 2023
As a national agriculture organization, it seems "O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain…" would be our focus from the song "America the Beautiful." We recognize private property ownership and rights as the cornerstone of a free enterprise system. You do what you do well. I do what I do well. And then, we barter, trade, or monetize the products or services we create to grow or strengthen our economy.
But the line that keeps America Beautiful is, "Confirm thy soul in selfcontrol, thy liberty in law." Each one of us finds a way to become better through self-discipline and persistence. We find ways to work together in our businesses and communities by lending a hand and 'biting our tongue' at times and being persuasive to others. We in Agri-Women actively work to make sure our liberty is protected, not abused, by laws.
It was our first President, General George Washington who said, "I would rather be on my farm than Emperor of the world." He lived through the horror of battles and his wife supported him and his troops through arduous, seemingly impossible, times at Valley Forge and elsewhere. He quoted the prophet Micah when he said, "each man shall all sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid." No military, no ruler would oppress them. His desire was to not just enjoy peace, but to allow people to prosper during peace. His personal preference was to manage his own affairs, yet he sacrificed his family time and agronomic research to serve our country when other people needed his guidance. Peace is insured when people discipline themselves to be their best, sometimes sacrifice their own desires, and work within communities to continually improve their circumstances.
It is true leadership—leading self, leading others. Agri-Women are providing an opportunity to all members – experienced and NEW – to refresh themselves and learn how we can all support ourselves as individuals and in teams to make a difference for agriculture, for our communities, families, and more. This August in Reno, let's LEAP together, into being even better at speaking out for agriculture and working with others to add power to our efforts.
L.E.A.P. Leading, Empowering, and Aspiring Toward Progress L.E.A.P. is open to all American Agri-Women members. Attendees must be current members of American Agri-Women. Membership can be updated at www.americanagriwomen.org. An event dedicated to the fierce women in agriculture to refine their leadership skills and cultivate a stronger future for American Agriculture.
Sincerely,
Heather Hampton+Knodle
President
American Agri-Women