Brooke was raised ranching and farming with her family in Billings, Mont., where they own a cow-calf operation and a custom grain-harvesting business. She attended the University of Idaho, and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Rangeland Ecology and Management Degree in May 2014 (Go Vandals!!). While going to school in Moscow, Brooke was an intern for the UI Rangeland Center. She claims to have fallen in love with Idaho’s places and people, easily making the decision to call the Gem State “home.” She has worked for the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) since the summer of 2014.

How are you involved in agriculture today? I’m a Range Management Specialist with  ISDA, based out of Boise. I have the privilege of working together with livestock producers, land and natural resource management staff, and extension personnel to help ensure the sustainability of Idaho’s working landscapes. I review federal and state resource management documents, and provide technical support to a number of advisory boards and task forces. Another role I serve at ISDA is partnering with grazing permittees, BLM staff, and extension educators around the state on a cooperative rangeland photo monitoring program. I enjoy getting to work with producers and managers who are passionate about the health of the land and who use domestic grazing as a tool to manage plants, wildlife, and the host of other resources that rangelands provide. I also serve as treasurer for the Idaho Section of the Society for Range Management. I take every opportunity I can to visit with friends on their farms and ranches here in Idaho or take trips to visit my family to help with harvesting and ranching.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? I was raised working alongside my parents and three siblings on my family’s cow-calf operation and custom grain-harvesting business. My grandparents on both sides farmed in North Dakota, and my parents started their own business from the ground up. Just some of the things that my up-bringing taught me and that agriculture continues to instill in me are the value of community, ingenuity, hard work, integrity and communication. Ranching in South Dakota and then Montana, and working with ag producers from Texas to the Canadian border while on the grain harvest taught me there is always something to be learned from someone else’s experience or perspective, whether it be in agriculture, business or in personal life!

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? I will always be inspired by my parents. My mother’s hard work and endless encouragement while cooking meals for the harvest and ranch crew, running to town to get parts, substitute teaching, all while raising four kids also inspired me! I’ve been gifted with many great mentors and peers that continually support and teach me in my rangeland career. One of these is my college advisor Karen Launchbaugh. Another is John Biar, my predecessor at the Department of Agriculture. John is a great mentor not only for the wealth of experience and knowledge he generously shares, but also in encouraging me to always keep my relationship with Jesus Christ as my first priority, family second, and work next.

How do you provide encouragement to others? We each have unique strengths and ideas to contribute, and I try to practice and use my abilities while creating opportunities for others to exercise theirs. I also like to encourage others through authenticity and shared laughter!

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? I would encourage those who have questions about agriculture and food production to go straight to the source for information. It’s easy to get bogged down in false information and misconceptions, but it’s much more productive to ask farmers and ranchers about what they do for a living and why they do it. The families and businesses that provide the U.S. and the world with food and fiber have the same concerns as the consumer; they want to provide their children healthy food and a future. The agriculture community has made great strides in telling their story, but there is always room for more of these conversations. Just as food production technology is needed to feed a growing world population, producers’ communication needs to increase and improve to reach a growing urban population and meet the challenges and opportunities provided by social and mass media.

What are you most thankful for? I’m first and foremost thankful for my family and their love and support as I pursue my passion in rangeland management. I’m grateful for the opportunities provided to me by my job to work in agriculture and natural resources, and I’ve been overwhelmed by the hospitality and warmness of Idahoans.

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? “Cowboy beans” is a family favorite. Just brown ground beef and add canned BBQ beans, and then fix an easy side-dish, fried potatoes or whatever else is available around the house or cow-camp. It’s a quick meal that can get everyone sitting at the table for a few minutes in the middle of a busy day.

What is your favorite childhood memory? Most of my best memories involve working with my family. Branding and the beginning of the harvest season were two of my favorite annual events. Branding brought neighbors together for a day of work and fun, and there’s nothing like traveling hundreds of miles across the plains and driving the combine into the first field of the summer’s wheat harvest.

Favorite store to shop in? I’m a sucker for antique stores, especially in small towns. They can give you a window into the area’s history, plus there’s the treasure-hunt factor when you make a great find!

Favorite place to visit? The Black Hills area in western South Dakota is one of my favorite destinations. My family ranched and farmed for 10 years there, and I really enjoy the landscapes, agriculture and history in the region. I don’t make that trip as often as I used to, but it’s always a treat to catch up with friends there.

Be sure to follow Brooke on both Facebook, and Instagram!

Karen Marchant Williams was raised on a cattle ranch in Oakley, Idaho. After graduating from college with a degree in Animal Science with an agri-business and political science emphasis, she began working for the Utah Cattlemen’s Association. The pull back home to Idaho was strong and after one year, she was able to find a job with the Idaho Cattle Association (ICA) where she has now worked for the past 16 years. Her role for ICA centers on natural resource policy issues, particularly relating to public lands grazing and wildlife issues. Her experience on public policy issues, combined with her family’s cattle ranching heritage provides her with the unique ability to represent Idaho’s cattle industry on the issues that affect the livelihood of Idaho’s ranching families. Karen works from her home office in Twin Falls where she and her husband Jason raise three red-headed girls, Sadie (10), Abigail (8), and Ellie (6). As often as possible, Karen and her family help out on her family’s ranch.

How are you involved in agriculture and/or the beef industry today? It is fair to say that my life is consumed by my care for agriculture, particularly the cattle industry. With my job for the Idaho Cattle Association, I literally spend every day studying and seeking resolution to the problems that face our industry and threaten the livelihoods of Idaho’s cattle ranching families. In addition to going home to my family’s ranch to help as often as possible, we also own a few acres, which allows me the satisfaction of having livestock around. It also provides my girls with the connection to chores and animals that helps to build their character, sense of self-worth, and value of hard work, even if on a smaller scale than what I grew up with.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? I cannot remember not having a passion for agriculture. It is in my blood as generations before me pioneered their way through the agrarian lifestyle. I grew up on a place where the term “family ranch” truly characterized our outfit. We worked together and were given responsibilities at an early age that were essential to the running of the ranch. My ties to that place are as strong as any of the bonds I feel with the people in my life. Because of that, I have an innate desire to stay close to that livelihood and do all I can to protect it. My education, my career, and my efforts to raise my children have all been centered with a love of this industry.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? I consider myself greatly blessed to have been surrounded by inspiring people my entire life. Both my father and mother were raised on cattle ranches and then together built up their own ranch and spent countless additional hours volunteering their time in community and state-wide agricultural organizations. From them, I learned an appreciation for the honest reward of hard work and a strong sense of my civic duty to work for the betterment of society. Also, I never cease to be inspired by the incredible men and women that make up Idaho’s cattle industry. I often think that that term “salt of the earth” had to be coined based on a cattle rancher. It is for them that I am proud to work every day.

How do you provide encouragement to others? I am generally an optimistic person who recognizes the great blessings of my life. I hope that my positive outlook drives the way I interact with people from all walks of life and provides encouragement and hope.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? With very few exceptions, Idaho’s cattle men and women are driven by the pure desires to care for their animals, pursue an honest, hard-working lifestyle, and to provide nourishing food to the world’s growing appetite. Their presence out on the land, both private and public, ensures that the cherished nature of wide open spaces are preserved and that the land is conserved. With all of the very real crises facing humanity across the globe, I am constantly confused by those activists who target our industry and seek to destroy the livelihood of those people who only desire to provide for the world. These are the acts of a generation who have never known true want or starvation. With our bounty comes trials.

What are you most thankful for? I am thankful for my faith, which fortifies me with daily strength and provides me with perspective on those things that matter most. At the very top on that list is my family—nothing comes before them. I also live in daily gratitude for the freedoms and peace we enjoy in this country. Lastly, I am ever-grateful for my heritage, which is steeped in the cattle industry and for the way of life I was born into and continue to be blessed to pursue and share with my children.

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? There are few things more satisfying than eating from the fruits of your labors. I love to make a late summer meal for my family where nearly everything on the plate is homegrown: grilled steak from the spare fair steer we raised; new potatoes and corn on the cob—both smothered in butter, along with tomatoes and watermelon from the garden, and peaches from our trees. Throw in some straight-out-of-the-oven rolls and it’s hard to imagine that life could be much better!

I also often take the opportunity to provide meals for friends who are sick or need a pick-me-up. I wouldn’t even consider bringing them anything other than a beef dish. I always hope that my cooking brings the comfort of a good hearty meal and a reminder of the versatility and nutrition of beef as a key ingredient in meals.

What is your favorite childhood memory? I was blessed with a childhood full of wonderful memories, but one that really stands out to me is my participation at the county fair. Showing cattle is also something that is also in my blood and I loved everything about the fair—from the feeling of reward at the end of a summer of hard work to the strong sense of community gathering to the delectable once-a-year food. The best part about this memory is that it is one that can be relived every year—especially since my oldest daughter is now showing a steer, and from all appearances, it’s in her blood every bit as much as it is in mine. That is a joy to watch.

Favorite place to visit? First and foremost is the Basin (home of my family’s ranch). It does a lot of good for my soul. Secondly, I love Washington, D.C. I really enjoy American history and there is no place richer with history than D.C. I also get carried up in politics and love the electric feeling of being at the heart of the place where our great country is governed—yes, even in spite of the fact that I am more frequently than not frustrated by the actions our leaders take. During my college years, I had the wonderful opportunity to complete an internship in D.C with an Idaho senator. That experience was very formative for me. Now I typically have the opportunity to travel to Washington about once a year to meet with elected and agency officials to represent Idaho’s cattlemen and women on the important issues facing our industry. That is an opportunity, and a responsibility, that I do not take lightly.

What are three little known facts about you? 1) It may not be little-known, as my infatuation is made quite clear to those around me, but I LOVE George Strait. I can say with 100 percent assurance that no musician will ever, ever come anywhere close to eclipsing my love for all things George. 2) I turn into a different person when I watch BYU football. All of my normally subdued character traits become overshadowed by the rabid fan within me.  Since my kids have had to live with me during the tremendous ups and downs of this season, they have taken to asking me at the start of each game, “Are you going to scream this time?”  3) I hate mice. With every fiber of my being. I cannot understand the purpose for the creation of these vermin. Knowing that he married a “tough” ranch girl, my husband can never comprehend how I can get so worked up and completely undone by the presence of a mouse or even their often-present calling card. I can’t comprehend it either; it is irrational, but I just can’t help myself. I think they might be the only drawback to living in the country.

Keep up with Karen by following her on Facebook and Instagram!

Chyenne Smith was just a small town girl from Montana, working in construction when she met her best friend, and now husband, Jay Smith. They took his small herd on a leased ranch, moved into a ranch of their own and have been building it up ever since. Chyenne jokes that they “think we’ll officially have it paid off when we’re 80, but who’s counting.”

How are you involved in agriculture today? I wish I could say I was involved in more aspects of agriculture than ranching, but that pretty much sums it up with the exception of our involvement in the Idaho Cattle Association. Jay is currently serving as a board member, while I on the other hand get to sew a brand square for the quilt our local cattlewomen auction off every year. This might not sound like much (ok, I do more than that) but I didn’t know how to embroider before this, so it’s a big deal.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? How can anyone’s life NOT be shaped by agriculture?! Trust me, I now know the answer and the reality of that question. Growing up rural, riding horses and helping on ranches when I could left me craving more. Luckily and thankfully I was able to do more. Now our whole world revolves around agriculture. Agriculture shapes how we eat, what we eat and most thoroughly when we eat.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? Mentors are not hard to come by in my or Jay’s family. Certainly our mothers, who both were remarkable forces to be reckoned with, in what is still referred to as a man’s world. My mother worked right alongside my father in construction. Jay’s mother grew up ranching, helping first her father, then her brother and now us. Both our fathers have taught me the value of work ethics, which have served me well in every job I have ever taken and now more than ever in ranching and raising a family.

How do you provide encouragement to others? I have always thought encouragement was a tough recipe. My best example of this is the main reason I am a decent cook and a horrible baker … when cooking you can substitute ingredients and throw all sorts of extras in, not so much in baking if you want to eat the end result… I think it’s important to try and encourage everyone around me so, we help our neighbors, we include everyone we can that wants to be a part of the ranch and most significantly, I’ve found the most helpful thing I can do is give a kind word and often.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? My overall message, which I share daily through Facebook® and Twitter® is simple: You need to come see for yourself. All the media, hype, movies, documentaries and pictures, positive or negative in message, don’t hold a candle to actually stepping onto a ranch or farm and speaking with real people who work the life every day.

What are you most thankful for? I am thankful every day for absolutely everything … for our family, our friends, our health and for this wonderful life full of adventure an opportunity.

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? Cooking on the ranch, is my other “other job”, the one that comes with dishes… My favorite thing to cook for a crowd that’s been working to help us all day would be a nice big roast with mashed potatoes, green salad, rolls and pie. My absolute favorite thing to cook for just our family is soup, which goes back to the whole throwing in whatever sounds good at the time.

What’s the first thing you do when you get to the grocery store? Going to the grocery store is an exercise in chaos theory for me … but I usually hit the produce section first and load up on fresh vegetables, fruits and cheese.  If I’m lucky, I have a plan for meals that will direct me through the rest of my shopping experience after that.

What is one of your most favorite childhood memories? When I was 17, my uncle sent a 3 year old green broke horse for me to work and then sell. I spent the better part of the year riding her through our hills and training/practicing reining and western pleasure. When it came time to show her off to potential buyers, she was a rotten example of a good horse, no help from me. Odd, that she only performed badly when there was interest in her … My uncle, knowing how attached to her I must have become, decided to give her to me as a graduation present and now, my favorite horse to ride on our ranch happens to be her son.

What are some of your favorite pastimes or hobbies? My favorite pastime is and has always been riding horses, which works out quite well with all the range riding that is required from spring through fall. In the winter months I also enjoy crocheting when I’m not tending to a calf on the porch…

You can keep up with Chyenne on Facebook, and Twitter!

Maureen Mai was born and raised in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho—a town just 30 miles south of the Canadian border. She and her husband, Ryan, met during their time at University of Idaho, getting married soon after they graduated. They have been involved in almost all aspects of the cattle business, starting with buying and selling stocker calves, developing a feedlot, and leasing a set of commercial cows, all while continuing to grow the purebred herd she started in her early teen’s. Maureen, Ryan and their son Dillon are now focused on their purebred herd, selling their bulls each February in the Bulls of the Big Sky sale.

How are you involved in agriculture today? It certainly varies from the seasons, but driving tractors and working with cattle fall into all the seasons. I tend to fill in where it is needed, whether it be with the hay rakes, the big baler, as a fence builder, or a truck driver. I operate the combine during our grain harvest…but I am trying to retire from that since I am now more involved with our county fair and 4-H. I am a 4-H leader for the Beef projects. The cows need checked weekly at all their pastures in the summertime and they get fed daily when they aren’t on pasture the other six months of the year. I do the bookkeeping for our business as well as the Idaho and Montana Simmental Associations, and our Bulls of the Big Sky Sale group. So, unfortunately I have to sit behind the computer quite a bit as well.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? Agriculture has shaped my life from the beginning. My parents had cattle since they were married. They also farmed hay and grains on a small basis and also were involved with the nursery industry for a while. I started 4-H as soon as possible with market steer and horse projects. When I was in high school I was selected to attend the ACT (Advancement for the Cattleman of Tomorrow) Program sponsored by the University of Idaho. After touring Idaho and seeing all of the possibilities and potential with agriculture, I knew I had no intentions of leaving it.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? Lots of people have inspired me and many have and do serve as mentors. In the beginning it was a family friend who drug me all across the country to cattle shows. She got me hooked on showing beyond the county level and being an important part of our breed association. All she ever asked is that I would do the same for someone sometime (I have since then hauled her granddaughters and several other kids a great many miles). Dr. Carl Hunt, retired Beef Nutrition Professor at U of I certainly inspired me to think “outside the box” whether it be for feeding/nutrition or profitability or general beef management. Marty Ropp with Allied Genetic Resources has mentored us into developing a pretty strong and competitive herd of Simmental cattle, which we sell to commercial cattlemen at our bull sale.

How do you provide encouragement to others? Providing encouragement to others???  My husband might say I yell really loud… but I try not to use that technique first. Especially with kids I try to help them achieve their goals by providing advice, pointing them to the right resources, and build their confidence as we go. I usually try to show them how to do something and then make them do it-—with supervision. It helps build their confidence and it teaches them to try new things. They usually end by saying, “that wasn’t so hard” or “that was really cool.”

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? My message about the agriculture and beef industry is…it is SAFE, DELICIOUS and NUTRITIOUS. The farmers and ranchers of the U.S. get up early and stay up late to take care of their animals and crops to make a safe and delicious product for our consumers. It is often a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week, on call job to keep animals safe and harvest crops before bad weather. The dedicated 2 percent of the population commits their lives to put a safe product on the table for the other 98 percent.

What are you most thankful for? I am most thankful for my family and the ability to live the life we do. We work hard but it is so exciting every spring to see a new year of baby calves hit the ground and see if all of last year’s plans worked. I love the early mornings of spring when the green grass pops up as you go out to feed the cows. It is exciting to start the harvest to see how the crops do that you’ve watched grow all summer. Most of all my son gets to experience all these joys as well.

What is you favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? Cooking isn’t my favorite thing to do but it seems to be essential. My favorite quick dish and family favorite is the Black Bean Tamale Pie—it has a corn bread/sour cream crust with hamburger, black beans, corn and taco/fajita seasoning inside. It was a “Beef It’s Whats For Dinner” contest winner years ago.  If company is coming over though I do love to BBQ a good Tri-Tip and some sort of high-calorie loaded potatoes.

What is the first thing you do when you walk into a grocery store? The first thing I do when I walk into the grocery store is…remember I left my list at home!

What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite childhood memories are usually related to horses and riding around the neighborhood with my friends. On our adventures we would stop and pick flowers for our moms—which were really weeds, but at the time we didn’t know that!

What is your favorite store to shop in? Favorite store to shop in is Costco and a Big R or D&B. If they don’t have it, we probably don’t really need it!

What is something people might be surprised to know about you? We put up and delivered small bales to the local horse market before we moved to the big 3x4x8’ bales and entered the export market—some of our hay has gone to Korea, Japan (to feed their dairy cows and race horses), and Saudi Arabia (to feed their camels). We continue to custom bale thousands of tons of hay and straw each year.

What are a few of your hobbies? In our spare time, I enjoy boating with family on Lake Pend Oreille, riding our horses, attending to my yard of flowers, and snow skiing.

You can reach out to Maureen by emailing her at rymocattle@gmail.com.

Gretchen grew up on a farm and ranch in Emmett, Idaho. After graduating from college, Gretchen worked at Agri Beef Co. for the better half of a decade, before becoming the first-ever Executive Director for the Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission (IRRC).

How are you involved in agriculture and/or beef industry today? My job entails promoting and educating the public about rangeland management, grazing issues, and livestock production. This includes designing, developing and implementing programs which lead to increased support for livestock grazing on public and private rangelands in Idaho. Partnering with other organizations, I have developed educational programs and curriculum for FFA, middle and high school science, elementary science, Idaho history booklets, and posters for the classroom. Promoting the importance of managed grazing of Idaho’s rangelands is a challenging, but rewarding venture. As an office of one, I collaborate with partners and volunteers who have the same passion for educating the future citizens about rangeland and livestock. In the last few years, the IRRC has produced more than 30 videos about ranchers doing positive things for wildlife, rangeland and the economy of Idaho on the Life on the Range website.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture and/or beef industry? I loved working on the ranch for my dad. As far back as I can remember, I would beg to go to the ranch with him. Working hard, being productive and efficient, and caring for the land and livestock has been engrained in my soul. While in college, I planned on becoming a CPA. After spending several years working as an accountant, I learned I needed to get outside and do more with the ranching community. Every step of my life has included the livestock industry in some way.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? My father and grandfather were both been instrumental to my knowledge and passion for the livestock industry. My grandfather, David Little, who passed in 2002, inspired me to change careers in 1997. A huge benefit of my job was that it allowed me to learn from my grandfather as an adult. He gave me both support and valuable advice when it came to politics, rangeland issues, and people. He was a master at seeing the big picture and looking for solutions. My father, Jim Little, has always been my mentor (whether he knows it or not). He leads by “doing” not just by “talking.” I am always challenged to be a better person by his example.

How do you provide encouragement to others? When I first started working for the IRRC, there were several “nay-sayers” who tried to discourage me in developing successful outreach and educational programs on rangeland. They said “nobody really cares about rangeland, but ranchers.” People from all walks of life love rangeland. Recreationists, wildlife enthusiasts, and nature lovers have become natural partners in areas that were never expected. I encourage people to be brave in their vision and to take a chance at making new partnerships. I encourage others to reach out to new allies and partners to find common goals and outcomes. Ranchers are a tiny fraction of the population and need the support of other rangeland users to continue to graze on public lands. I encourage anyone with a passion for the livestock industry to speak up and be proud. We need more spokespeople who will reach out and tell their story.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? I craft messages for specific audiences. The one thing I have found is that keeping it simple is very important. For the more urban audience, fostering an understanding that people who live on the land must take care of that land to survive both ecologically and economically. Ranches are long-term investments which can only improve with proper management. Rangelands are dynamic systems with impacts far beyond livestock grazing. Land management is essential for healthy landscapes for all users. Livestock grazing is an important part of rangeland management. Managing fuel loads, invasive weeds, and wildlife habitat with livestock is an effective tool. The hardest part of this message is the variations of rangeland types, historical impacts and other users. If you ask a scientist a question about rangeland management, their typical response is “it depends.” That doesn’t cut it for a majority of the public. They want simple and straight forward answers. With that said, it is critical that a basic understanding about the ecology of rangeland is provided at a young age so that citizens can decipher the dilemmas of the contemporary public land issues. Without an underlying knowledge (that most ranch kids have), their decisions will be based on misconceptions and myths.

What are you most thankful for? I am thankful for the opportunity to share my passion and stay involved in the livestock industry. Promoting and educating the public about the important work ranchers do every day is a gift that I never take for granted.

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? My favorite meal is a smoked tri-tip steak, green salad and homemade bread. It’s simple, easy and delicious!

What is the first thing you do when you walk into a grocery store? I check out the meat section. I love trying new cuts and seeing what customers are buying (or not). I often find great deals on new cuts because consumers don’t know how to cook them. It also is an opportunity to visit with other consumers.

What are your guilty pleasures in life? When I can find time, my favorite thing to do is ride my horse in the foothills near our home. Getting out on the range restores my soul, clears my mind, and invigorates my creative juices.

What are some of your favorite pastimes and/or hobbies?  My other passion is my kids and youth sports. Both my boys were active in sports in school. My husband is a principal and coach. I enjoy going to the games, helping in any way I can, and supporting the teams. My youngest son has been lucky to continue to play football at the University of Idaho. Attending his games has made the transition to “empty nest” much easier.

You can follow Gretchen personally on Instagram and Twitter. The Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission, and Life on the Range, can also be followed on Facebook and Twitter.