Diana Graning was raised on northcentral Idaho’s Camas Prairie. A graduate of the University of Idaho, Diana majored in Animal Science Production, putting her degree to work as a Feed Consultant for a local Ag Co-Op. Recently Diana made the decision to leave her job, so she could focus on her family and their cows. Diana and her husband, Cody, have a little girl named Mesa Rose, and are expecting another little girl arriving at the end of January!

How are you involved in agriculture today? My family and I ranch, as well as operate our own custom spraying and fertilizer business, specifically for crop fields.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? My life has been shaped positively by agriculture in the way of learning core life values such as work ethic, treating others and animals fairly and the value of a dollar.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? I’m inspired by all women in agriculture!

Photo Credit: Jestine Hensley

How do you provide encouragement to others? I love sending cards in the mail, or utilizing social media to share a quick message to someone I’m thinking about.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? I would most like to share the message that as rancher, we treat our animals the very best we can, not only because of financial impact, but because care for all ranch/farm animals. There is so much misconstrued information about livestock coming from “factories” i.e. “Factory farms.” This is nothing even remotely similar between a farm/ranch and a factory. I think this is one of the common myths that bothers me the most.

What are you most thankful for? I am very thankful that I was born and raised in agriculture! I’m even more thankful for the opportunity to continue living this lifestyle and to be able to raise my children the same way I was brought up!

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? Anyone in my house knows that answer would be spaghetti! It’s easy to make, especially in large quantities, and we never seem to get tired of it.

What are a few of your guilty pleasures? Although I don’t get to watch a lot of TV, I have to say when given the choice to something completely on my own time, especially if its dark outside I really enjoy a good TV show series or a movie. Some of my favorites are Big Bang Theory, Brady Bunch and movies are of course any horse show (Seabiscuit, Secretariat…love them all), Ms. Congeniality or most all Sandra Bullock movies.

Photo Credit: Jestine Hensley

What’s your favorite store to shop in? Any farm/ranch store that has TACK! I also enjoy Old Navy for clothes shopping for the family. It’s inexpensive, offers simple styles, and good quality.

What’s the first thing you do when to get to the grocery store? Well first thing is to grab a cart and check my list if I didn’t leave it at home or in the pickup. My favorite isle is the laundry soap isle. It just smells SO good!

Be sure to stay in touch with Diana on Facebook!

Day 4: Women in Ag: Julie Kerner
Day 3: Women in Ag: Megan Satterwhite
Day 2: Women in Ag: Celia Gould
Day 1: Women in Ag: Robin Lufkin

Julie and her family own a cow-calf, yearling operation and custom feedlot in southwest Idaho. She and her husband were raised on livestock ranches and their industry roots run deep. Their children have been very active and involved in the ranch and feedlot, and are developing their own herds of quality cattle. Julie enjoys read and playing the organ at church.

How are you involved in agriculture today? I am a partner with my husband, Bruce, in our family operation, Kerner Cattle Company. Day-to-day tasks include bookwork, riding pens and cattle care, phone calls and more phone calls. It also involves daily discussions about cattle and our family. Our lives center on faith, family and the land and cattle we care for. In our community, we strive to show our neighbors what “good stewards” are, in the tangible sense. We work with the 4-H & FFA groups during weigh-in, offering our scales and chute so the kid’s animals are vaccinated and tagged correctly. We stay active in our Weiser River Cattle Association, working on local and state issues. We also work on Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) principals with our family and employees.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? One of my earliest memories is sitting on the back of a Hereford bull in a stall of my family’s barn. Born and raised on a registered Hereford ranch, I was always in the barn with my Dad and Granddad. I loved being around cattle. I became active in the Jr. Hereford Association, which allowed me to see cattle across the nation and fuel my passion to be involved in the cattle industry at a young age. With a degree in Animal Science from the University of Idaho, I continued working in the livestock and allied industries. As our family and Kerner Cattle Company grew, I was able to become a full time “ranch wife.” This has allowed Bruce & I to raise our children in ranching and has continuously taught them life lessons tied to agriculture.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? My mentors were my grandmothers and their quiet strength in their family operations. These women never complained about hardships, but relied on their faith and competence in difficult times. They found joy in ranch and farm life.

How do you provide encouragement to others? I hope a daily positive attitude is evident to others. I hope I truly listen to others and respond with care and concern.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? The necessity of family ranches. We have many people comment on the work ethic of our children, which we can directly tie to working with cattle and the land. These ideas are antiquated in modern culture, but are still recognized as positive. I would hope to share that ranching is a “serving” industry; our mission is to feed a growing hungry world and we do that by the ranch values of caring for others and our livestock. It goes back to living The Golden Rule.

What are you most thankful for?  A life lived with family, cattle and land.

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? An old Idaho CowBelles recipe, Chinese Whisky Steak. I usually add a side Sides of ranch potatoes, Rosemary Rolls (from The Pioneer Woman), green salad and Texas Sheet Cake for dessert! Wins them over every time!

What is the first thing you do when you walk into a grocery store? Look at my list!

What is your favorite childhood memory? Helping feed the sale bulls in our old barn. All the rations were hand-mixed and bunk fed as we halter-broke the bulls to come to the bunk.  You learned to judge their temperaments and gain their trust. Those hours around the bulls taught me to “read” cattle. Not paying attention garnished a few bruises from being kicked!  The radio was always on KSRV and everything had to be quiet when the market report came on!

What are some of your favorite pastimes and/or hobbies?  I love college football! My favorite season is fall, so we can watch the race to the championship. I love all kinds of music—Big Band, Dean Martin, Classical, Irish, Red Dirt, Classic Country and George Strait, so an hour at the piano with no interruptions and all my music books is a treat!

Be sure to connect with Julie on Facebook!

Megan lives with her husband and three sons on a multi-generational cow-calf ranch in south central Idaho. Megan serves as the ICW Representative to the ICA board of directors. In her spare time, she enjoys working and playing with her family, reading, gardening, fishing and watching her sons play football.

How are you involved in agriculture today? I work as an agriculture research technician in the soil science division for University of Idaho Extension. When I am not working in town I help my husband, Kabel, on the family ranching operation.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? I grew-up on a small farming/cattle operation and developed a love for the land and animals at a young age. My passion for agriculture continued into college as I pursued an Agricultural Science degree. Yeah, I know it’s weird, but I enjoy working long hours outside, and getting dirty!

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? There have been several individuals who have inspired and encouraged me throughout my life, but my daily motivation is to be a better person today than I was yesterday.

How do you provide encouragement to others? One way I offer encouragement to my children is to live by example, although that is not always easy. Oftentimes when a close friend needs encouragement and I don’t have the right words to say I will refer to scripture, some of my favorites include Proverbs 3:5-6 and Isaiah 40:31.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? Animal agriculture is essential to the welfare of America as well as the rest of the world. Not only does animal agriculture provide food for an ever-growing world population, it is a strong component to our economy. Livestock producers also maintain and enhance millions of acres of public lands and supply consumers with necessary and valuable byproducts.

What are you most thankful for? Weekends! And of course, my family!

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? I enjoy cooking anything that does not require a ton of clean-up afterwards! My favorite would be soup/stews with homemade bread.

What is the first thing you do when you walk into a grocery store? Cringe! I really hate grocery shopping.

What are some of your favorite pastimes and/or hobbies? When I have free time I like to read and garden. And I love watching my boys and nephews play football.

Favorite place to visit? The Oregon coast; it is so peaceful and relaxing.

Celia Gould was appointed Director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture in January 2007, the first female to hold the position. She is also the owner/operator of a third generation ranching and farming operation, G+ Ranches of Buhl, Idaho. G+ Ranches raises Black Angus and Angus-Wagyu cattle. Celia is a graduate of Buhl High School and holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Boise State University. Celia spent 16 years in the Idaho House of Representatives, where she served on the Agricultural Affairs, Education, and Revenue and Taxation committees, in addition to serving as the Chairman of the Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee.

 How are you involved in agriculture and/or the beef industry today?

• Owner/operator of third-generation cattle ranch
• Director of the Idaho State Dept. of Agriculture for nearly nine years
• Proud inductee into the Southern Idaho Livestock Hall of Fame
• Member of Idaho Cattle Association
• Chairman of National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Natural Resources & Environment Committee

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? Agriculture has been my life-long passion, and it has shaped nearly every facet of my life. Throughout my career, the lessons I learned on the ranch have enabled and defined me. In agriculture, we know that the work day doesn’t start at 8 and end at 5. We also know that agriculture is woven into every fiber of our daily lives, not just when we sit down to the dinner table. Those experiences taught me about hard work, community, kindness, leadership and sometimes shear doggedness.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? When I was young, I interned for former Speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives Thomas Stivers. During his chairmanship of the House Judiciary and Rules committee, he allowed me incredible opportunities that weren’t normally afforded to interns. I am very grateful for that experience; it piqued my interest in public service and put me on my career path. For the last 25 years, my husband Bruce has always been my sounding board and mentor. That doesn’t mean I always take his advice, but I greatly respect his opinion, knowledge and integrity.

How do you provide encouragement to others? I believe strongly in the power of mentorship and being generous with your time, expertise and praise. It’s no secret that the average age of a person involved in agriculture is going up. It’s incumbent on industry veterans to do whatever we can to engender an environment of mentorship and teaching that encourages young people to stay in agriculture. In that vein, keeping my door open to young people has been a priority. My work with the Idaho FFA Foundation has been particularly important and rewarding.

Cattle graze at Celia’s G+ Ranch.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? My main message is simple: The future of the beef industry—and all of agriculture—is incredibly bright. During the recession, agriculture was Idaho’s strongest industry. We are the lifeblood of every community in this state, and somehow we always survive the ups and downs of markets and changing public opinion. More than that, ranchers aren’t relics of the past. I look forward to seeing the incredible advancements that beef industry will continue to make while holding on to our best traditions and time-honored way of life.

 What are you most thankful for? Very soon, I will get to welcome our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren back to the ranch. They are both Captains in the Marine Corp and while I am extremely proud of their service to our country nothing brings me more joy than knowing that the fourth generation of our family will be building a life on the ranch.

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? Anything with beef, but tri-tip seems to be my go-to meal. It’s incredibly versatile and delicious. Whether it is for the branding crew or a week night after work, tri-tip is always a hit and incredibly easy to prepare.

What is the first thing you do when you walk into a grocery store? Check out the meat counter. When I was a kid my family owned a butcher shop in Buhl. To this day I love to see a beautiful, well-stocked meat counter.

Director Gould, listening intently during a Governor’s Trade Mission.

What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite childhood memory was going to the Saturday livestock sale with my Grandfather.  Sometimes I would take my best friend and sometimes after the sale my Grandpa would take us to the local pool hall for a cherry coke. That was living large!

What are your guilty pleasures in life? My guilty pleasures in life always involve food. I simply love to eat. I believe I developed this love of food from all the delicious variety of
home-grown and home-cooked meals prepared for our family as I grew up.

Day 1: Women in Ag, Idaho CattleWomen Chair, Robin Lufkin

We’re starting off this month’s Women in Ag feature with Robin Lufkin, a rancher from Leadore, Idaho. She is currently the Chair of the Idaho CattleWomen Council, having served in such capacity since 2013. Robin and her husband Carl (who currently serves as the President of the Idaho Cattle Association), have 3 kids and 4 grandsons.

How are you involved in agriculture today? For the past 16 years, my husband has managed a registered/commercial ranch; however, we just moved to our own ranch where we’ll be running a registered herd and having spring bull sales. The new ranch has kept us busy this year, as we’ve been building new corrals, fixing fence, and getting a calving shed built.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? I would say that my life has been more than shaped by agriculture—it’s the way many generations of my family, and my husband’s family, have made a living. We’ve been in the cow business for 36 years, and now our kids are too! It seems like every day revolves around what needs done with either crops or animals.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? My mom—who’s almost 80 years old—but looks closer to 60! She has cooked lunch every day, her entire married life, for whomever works on the ranch. She doesn’t expect a lot of fuss over doing it, but she knows it’s a big thing for everyone who eats at her table. I think her cooking meals has also helped all of our family members get along better, because they have a time and a place to discuss what needs done on a daily basis. I really admire her fortitude.

Photo Credit: Kathy Gines Hunt

How do you provide encouragement to others? I ranch with family and sometimes I think people just want to be heard, appreciated and included. By lending an ear, or an encouraging word, I think people can easily work out a lot of their own frustrations.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? That we are good people, trying to provide a great product, that is beneficial for everyone.

What are you most thankful for? That I really do have the opportunity to live a simple, wonderful life. I don’t always take the opportunity to do so, but I can make my life pretty simple and enjoyable if I choose. We live in a beautiful place, do what we love, go to bed tired, eat great food, have darling grandkids and have raised really nice kids. Some people never have it so good!

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? Probably meatballs and au gratin potatoes. That’s what I get the most compliments on, but I’m a baker at heart. I love to make anything with dough!

What is your favorite childhood memory? Just simple things like riding on the motorcycle with my dad to change water in the evenings, or him singing us silly songs. We were very poor, so we didn’t take big vacations or spend a lot of money. Our fun came from everyday things, eating together, talking at the supper table, helping hay, or moving cows.

Photo Credit: Joyce Caywood Photography

What are your guilty pleasures in life? A new purse, a new cookbook, and a little bit of time to myself occasionally.

What are some of your favorite pastimes and/or hobbies? I love to read and knit.