The Idaho CattleWomen Council held a meeting and social during the Idaho Cattle Association annual convention in Sun Valley in November. We had nearly 50 women and guests in attendance. Everyone enjoyed refreshments, and an ice breaker, where each shared if they could have dinner with any person (past or present) who would it be and why.

The business meeting included updates on the committees—website, store, saddle/scholarship. A committee was formed to discuss the possibility of ANCW membership. They will report back during the summer meeting in June 2024. In addition, the resolution in regards to the Idaho Cattlewomen Council and ANCW was reaffirmed.

New leadership for ICWC is Tay Brackett, who moves up into the ICW Chairman seat and onto the ICA Executive Committee. Christie Prescott becomes the ICW Rep to the ICA Board of Directors.

We had another great turnout for the Annual Photo Contest. All entered photos need to be emailed to Morgan at the office if they haven’t been yet. They will be used in future promotions and marketing materials for the association.

L-R: Anita Gonzalez, Saddle and Scholarship Chair, Tay Brackett, ICWC Chair, Christie Prescott, ICW Rep for ICA Board of Directors

Congratulations to Kevin Byington who won the 2023 Saddle. Thank you to our sponsors, AgWest Credit, Amie Halstead and D&B Supply for your support. Thanks to all who purchased tickets. Proceeds go toward our scholarship fund.

Laurie Lickley, who has served as a past ICWC Chairwoman and ICA President, announced her bid for the Idaho Senate. The cattle industry is proud to stand behind this rancher and industry leader.

The 2022 Scholarship Applications are available now. To qualify, students must have parents/grandparents or guardians as members of ICA, and be pursuing a degree in agriculture or ag-related field.

2022 ICW Scholarship Application

2022 Simplot Scholarship Application

Brand Reservation Form

How are you involved in agriculture today?
I am currently an agricultural engineer for AGPROfessionals focusing on drainage, engineering and permitting for Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) all across the western United States. I love assisting owners and operators with achieving their goals and keeping production animal agriculture alive.

Outside of the office and as a passion project, I am a co-host for the Millennial Ag Podcast. Bringing the perspective, hot topics, and real life stories of agriculture to the public through the lens of millennials.

And when I have free time, I spend it riding my horse and assisting my family on their cow-calf operation.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture?
Agriculture is deep in my veins and it has and will always be a large part of my heart. When I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to be involved in agriculture and work towards making a difference in my community. I ended up pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering and continued to stay involved in agriculture in a variety of ways. During that time, I always thought that the agriculture community was who could influence me the most. While this is true and I have a lot of people to thank, I had a very closed mind. I ended up being influenced a lot by people outside the agriculture community and those who helped me understand the other 98% of the world who eats, wears and uses the products we produce.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor?
My family, and specifically my parents, Bill and Laurie. They have always worked humbly and hard to be involved in their communities and take a lot of pride in their work. I am so blessed and grateful to have role models that answer my silly questions and guide me in life, the cattle markets and my career.

How do you provide encouragement to others?
In the last six months, I have co-hosted the Millennial Ag Podcast with my good friend Katharine Lotspeich. Through the podcast we talk about real issues, real stories and allow agriculture to be vulnerable with the consumers and themselves. We try and tackle the real hot topic issues but we always try and leave everyone with a positive thought, idea or action item. We want to give hope to agriculture and allow agriculture to begin to have those tough conversations that we have been avoiding for years.
Our podcast can be found on any major podcast platform (Apple, Google, Spotify, Podbean, etc.) or at millennialag.com.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people?
Dare to be different and Dare to take a chance! As a fifth generational rancher, I never imagined I would ever rock climb, run long distances or hike tall mountains. I also never thought I was capable of starting a podcast or leading a team of professionals at 25. Once I shook off the control and tunnel vision of the life I thought I should be living, the opportunities and connections I made were better than I could ever imagine. Life is not going to be easy. We are going to fall flat on our face, but we have to have faith, work hard and stay true to our roots while opening our eyes to the possibilities.

What are you most thankful for?
I am grateful for my faith, my community (family and friends) and adventure!

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others?
You cannot really beat a good T-bone steak, sweet potatoes and a fresh veggie. Easy, tasty and nutritious!

Valene (center) with her parents, Bill and Laurie, participated in the Race for the Steaks to benefit Beef Counts and the Treasure Valley YMCA.

What is your favorite childhood memory?
One of my favorite childhood memories was getting a group of friends together and catching all our “broke” horses to play football on bareback. When we would get bored playing football, we would run them through the pivot sprinklers and jump the pivot tracks. How we didn’t fall off or get bucked off more times than we did is still a mystery to me.

What are a few of your guilty pleasures?
Wine or a cold beer (depending on the time of year) and lots of laughs with friends and family!

Where is your favorite place to shop?
My Mom’s closet… My mom loves clothes, has better style than I do,   and her rule is that anything that comes into her closet, something has to go out. So it is a win-win situation.

Hi, I’m Maggie Malson. I’m a farm girl turned Idaho cattlewoman. I grew up a farmer’s daughter in small town Kansas. My husband, Josh, and I met in college at K-State, got married, and moved to Idaho to join his parents and siblings in the family operation. Our ranch is located near Parma, in southwest Idaho. We raise registered Angus and Hereford cattle, selling bulls and females to commercial ranchers and other purebred producers. We have three generations on the ranch, including our four children.

What is your favorite part of the beef industry? The people! People in the Idaho ranching community care about each other, their animals, and the land. They are kind, intelligent, and hard-working. I love being a part of the agriculture industry and helping to feed people. I’ve met so many people across the country and traveled to different places because of agriculture.

Why are you passionate about the beef industry? I love our product—beef! It’s such a nutritious and delicious source of protein. I love raising the cattle, seeing our kids learn responsibility and work ethic by taking care of the animals, and sharing the story of agriculture with others. I don’t know another industry that has such a global reach, yet is also feels like a small, connected family.

What’s your favorite beef meal to cook (or favorite beef recipe)? Oh, this is hard! I have so many beef dishes. I think my favorites tend to keep it simple. My family loves cuts like flank and skirt steak, and tri-tip, that is marinated, then grilled and served with a fresh vegetable or salad. I make a lot of ground beef soups and stews in the fall and winter too. My family has a couple favorite recipes I make—Steak Alfredo, which is fettuccine topped with a cream sauce and sirloin steak bites, and Creamy Crockpot, which uses round steak, peppers and onions, and is served over rice.

When you’re not busy ranching, what do you like to do to “unwind”? I love to read, play tennis, and watch my kids in sports, school, and 4-H activities.

What is your favorite part about Idaho? I really love Idaho. It has so many pretty places and the sunsets are amazing. It reminds me of where I grew up. The people are friendly and down-to-earth. I love that you can drive about two hours anywhere from where we live and you can be in the desert or the mountains. It’s been a great place to raise cattle and a family.