Sarah Butler Helmick, was born and raised in Bliss on her family’s 4^th generation purebred Angus ranch. Growing up, she was active in 4-H and FFA as well as the Idaho Junior Angus Association and the National Junior Angus Association. Sarah attended Casper College on a livestock judging scholarship and eventually became a 3^rd generation University of Idaho Vandal, where she received a degree in Agriculture Science, Leadership and Communication. She is currently teaching Agriculture at Bliss High School. She and her husband, Chad, live and work on his family’s cow-calf and farming operation in Bliss where they develop the heifer calves through breeding and farm.

How are you involved in agriculture today? I am currently teaching Ag to students in Bliss, grades 7^th-12^th, and I also serve as the FFA advisor. My job has taught me just how removed our consumers are from the agriculture industry, even in a rural town! I try every day to help educate our youth about the agriculture industry and shed light onto any question they may have. I’m also co-advisor of the Idaho Junior Angus Association. My husband works alongside his parents on their cow-calf operation that spans from Mayfield to Bliss, and manages all of the farming. When I am not teaching or coaching an FFA team, I enjoy helping the family with whatever tasks that need done, whether it is putting up fence in the spring, feeding heifers, or my favorite, helping wean and bring cow’s home from the mountain. I have even been known to change a pesky wheel line (not my favorite job!) Also, as often as I can (and not near often enough) I help my parents at Spring Cove Ranch. My parents still manage a few cows of mine and I like to help them whenever I can. I enjoy helping my dad and brother sort through the bulls in preparation for our annual bull sale and helping mom with the bookwork.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? Like most of the women featured, I was born into an agriculture family. I am the 4^th generation to be involved in Spring Cove Ranch and I am very proud of that! Both sides of my family were very active in the agriculture industry, raising cattle and involved in organizations such as 4-H, Soil Conservation, Idaho Cattle Association and so on. This led to my passion for the 4-H and FFA programs. I am currently a leader in the 4-H program and enjoy helping young members get started in our industry. Growing up, I knew I would always want be involved in agriculture. My parents gave me my first registered heifer in 1993, Spring Cove Violet. From that one cow, my herd grew and so did my love for the beef industry. Being involved in the cattle business also taught me a lot about life. I learned skills that I know most kids these days are missing. I learned about life and death, success and failure. I learned about hard work and responsibility. This sort of “reality check” came early in life and shaped me into the person I am today.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? There are many people that inspire me on a daily basis. I have learned so much from my parents and am so grateful for them. They have pushed me to be the best version of myself, and because of them, I was able to grow up the best way possible—outside, and around Angus cattle! At a young age they instilled in me the importance of a good education and hard work; two aspects of life I haven’t forgotten. Their resilience and knowledge impresses me every day. As most people who know my family would tell you, I come from a long line of strong, independent women. Another inspiration to me was my great grandmother, Dorothy Agee. She married at 17 and moved to a ranch in the Middle of Nowhere, Nevada, where she raised cows and kids. She taught me lessons that I didn’t truly understand until I got married last year. Her advice on raising…errr…I mean… loving a husband is something I will forever cherish.

How do you provide encouragement to others? I always try to look on the bright side of things. I try to encourage my students to push themselves beyond their limits. A lot of the time, they don’t think they can do something, because no one around them ever has. For that reason, I try to encourage students to envision themselves being successful, and am the first to let them know that I believe in them. If we all tried our hardest, we would all be amazed at what we could achieve!

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? I would LOVE the chance to show people what happens on the day-to-day happenings of a ranch. I truly think anyone who spends a day on the ranch with my father would immediately understand that we care for our cattle and the land. My dad’s passion for his cows and the land is contagious. I think that would help open their eyes to the fact that this industry is full of families, just like mine, who are committed to caring for the land. Idaho ranchers are true conservationists! We want the best for our livestock, and our land, and would never do anything to jeopardize the safety or health of either.

What are you most thankful for? I am thankful for my hardworking, loving husband who shares the same passion for the cattle industry as I do. I am thankful for my amazing family and friends. I am thankful for a school full of students who always keep me on my toes! And I am thankful for Idaho ranchers who care for our beautiful state while producing a delicious and nutritious product for the world!

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? Man, this has been a challenge for me! Growing up I would rather be outside helping dad than be inside cooking with mom. So needless to say, my husband has been a wonderfully patient guinea pig!  Thankfully with my genetics, there is no way I can be a bad cook—luckily I’m getting better by the day! I have found some great go-to recipes and my favorite would have to be The Pioneer Woman’s Sour Cream Noodle Bake. It’s delicious and easy to feed a crowd!

What is your favorite childhood memory? My favorite childhood memory is helping my dad AI cows on one of our Bureau of Land Management (BLM) allotments. We would set up a mobile breeding box every spring on a BLM allotment adjacent to the ranch. I would help him ride the range looking for cows that were showing signs of heat, then trail them back to the chute to be bred. I loved spending the time with my dad and learning about everything from the reproduction cycle of a cow to the history of the land. And it was a real treat when dad would find a horny toad to bring home and put in the aquarium (they never lasted long for some reason….)

What are some of your favorite pastimes and/or hobbies? Spending time with family is my favorite pastime. I have the cutest three nephews. My oldest nephew starts 4-H this year and our whole family is pretty excited to watch the next generation begin their career. I enjoy watching the junior shows around the state and our county fair and cannot wait to watch Wyatt this summer!

I also love exploring new places with my husband. Whether we are 20 miles from home on a Sunday drive or Mesa Verde National Park on our honeymoon, I love seeing new places and he is my favorite adventure buddy!

What is your favorite place to visit? I have always loved to travel. Growing up most of our family “vacations” were to deliver bulls, pick up a new herd sire, or dragging my steers and heifers to a junior show. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world! I enjoy exploring new country where ever that might be. However, after growing up and moving away from home and moving back again, I have found my favorite place to visit now is HOME. Spring Cove Ranch is the most beautiful place on earth and will always be my favorite spot to visit.

Be sure to keep up with Sarah’s daily life, by following her on Facebook and Instagram!

Carmen Stevens is a native Idahoan, and has lived in Gooding County for most of her life. She and her husband, Ben, have three children and one grandson.

How are you involved in agriculture and/or beef industry today? I am a Senior Technical Sale Representative for Bayer Animal Health. I work all across Idaho, Montana and Utah, calling on veterinarians, distributors, dealers and producers.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture and/or beef industry? As long as I can remember, I have loved livestock. When I was a young girl we had a foal that was injured and right then and there, I decided I wanted to be a veterinarian. I did not fulfill that dream, but that dream has been great help in guiding my life. Chances are I had no chance—loving agriculture is in my blood. My father’s family was Basque, and my mother came to Idaho as a young woman to teach school from Missouri. Her family farmed and had a grocery store. My dad was a good stockman and taught me a lot about cattle. Fortunately, I have been blessed to have had a lot of experiences both on the production side, as well as in sales.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? Anyone who is honest and true to their word! I have always admired people who are convicted and don’t change their beliefs because of the status quo. I have known a lot of really great people who will stand up and fight for what they think is right. I always looked up to those kinds of people, because a lot of people want to do what’s easy, instead of doing what’s right.

How do you provide encouragement to others? I provide encouragement to others by staying positive and maintaining a good attitude. Usually there are two ways to look at a situation. The one thing I have learned in life is that in the grand scheme of things, we don’t have a lot of control over stuff—but the better job we do of controlling the things we can, the easier life is.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? Agriculture has treated me very, very well. It has provided me with a good living and given me the chance to meet some amazing people. I have travelled through some beautiful country, and have seen a lot of changes—with the majority of those being for the better. It’s great to be a part of an industry that’s essential to the survival of mankind. Agriculture often gets a bad rap—most of it being ignorance and a lack of desire to learn—but if you take the time to understand where your food comes from, you would be absolutely amazed.

What are you most thankful for? I am thankful to be a part of the livestock industry and a chance to share my knowledge with other people. I am thankful to be surrounded by people who share my ideals, my love of God, and pride for my country. I am blessed to have the support of my family, and a husband who doesn’t mind that I am gone for weeks at a time. I’m also thankful to have had the chance to raise my children in agriculture, and thankfully they’ve found a love for it, just as deep as mine.

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? I truly love beef! I love a good ribeye (Choice or Prime) seared in a hot cast iron pan and put in the oven, cooked to medium rare. I usually serve just a green salad and some sour dough bread with a glass of red wine. In my opinion there’s nothing better! I spend a lot of time driving and not too much time exercising, so it’s hard to follow the dietary guidelines for an aging woman. I really have a hard time not eating beef, twice a day, every day! Thankfully, it provides lots of protein and nutrients!

What are some of your favorite pastimes and/or hobbies? I love to bake and try new recipes….thank goodness for Pinterest!

Favorite store to shop in? Western Ranch Supply in Montana. I also like to shop in out-of-the-way places.

Favorite place to visit? Hysham, Mont., which is where my son Jack, his wife Kayla, and my grandson Jesse live.

Be sure to keep up with Carmen’s travels by following her on Facebook!

Kara Kraich Smith is a 4^th generation rancher’s daughter raised in the sand hills of northeastern Colorado, where she’s still actively involved in her family’s stocker/feeder operation. She’s been an Idahoan for the past four years, after graduating from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor’s in Animal Science and a Master’s in Ruminant Nutrition from West Texas Tech, in Canyon, Texas. Upon moving to the Treasure Valley, Kara served as the Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator, before settling into a job with Newport Laboratories, where she currently works as their area Field Account Manager.

How are you involved in agriculture and/or beef industry today? My day job as the area field account manager for Newport Labs allows me to assist beef producers on a daily basis by partnering with them to solve animal health challenges through diagnostics and custom-made vaccines. I especially enjoy being the liaison between producers and veterinarians to help them with animal health issues they may be having on the ranch by coordinating diagnostic sample submissions and once the “bug” causing the problem has been identified, I work with ranchers and veterinarians to decide if a custom vaccine is right for their operation. In the Treasure Valley, I am also involved in organizations that support the beef industry—ICA, the Beef Council, Beef Counts and youth organizations shaping lives of young people who will be future leaders of our industry, including the working ranch project and FFA.

If you can’t find me out on the road with Newport Labs or in Boise, you will find my husband and me back on the ranch in Colorado. We spend as much time as possible helping on my family’s commercial stocker/feeder operation typically during branding, weaning, turning out in the spring and gathering yearlings in the fall to go into the feedyard. I still catch a sale with my dad from time to time and always enjoy helping wean calves in the fall. A wise woman once told me there is no one better than a lady to take care of high-risk weaning calves because we know which calves need to be pulled as “they look like they need a hug.”

How has your life been shaped by agriculture and/or beef industry? Agriculture has been the backbone of my life since I was born. My parents could always find me either horseback, in the calf pens or in the barn with all of my numerous critters! Agriculture and the western lifestyle are two things that I hold very near and dear to my heart and strive to better the industry every day in our cattle operation, employment and volunteer activities. Life lessons are best taught through trials and tribulations of hard work, entrepreneurial spirit, love of the land and God’s creations that epitomizes agriculture and the industry.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? Out of all of the many influences that have shaped me into the person I am today, one in particular stands out, and that’s my dad. He taught me to work hard, never give up, set a goal and don’t you dare quit until you reach it. He instilled a love for the western lifestyle and ingrained the lesson that we are the caretakers of the land and God’s creatures. He is as humble as they come, which is a quality of high regard, always drove home the concept that you should show respect and be deserving of it in return, and that honesty and integrity in your professional and personal life are above all important at end of the day. He exemplifies these qualities every day in the daily functioning of the ranch, involvement in the community and commitment to family. His lessons have served me well in every facet of my life and he was always supportive of my dreams from riding, roping, running yearlings, and he even put up with all the countless critters I brought home!

How do you provide encouragement to others? Encouragement can come in many verbal forms, but I prefer to lead by example. I’m of the mindset I cannot ask or encourage anyone to do something that I am not willing to do myself. Hard work and living a life that others can respect sets the stage to provide words of encouragement to others.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? Food is extremely personal to everyone and that is no exception to agriculture producers. We take immense pride in our role as caretakers of the land and animals and we strive to provide high quality, nutritious food to our families and yours. Every chance I get I share my story to an unsuspecting bystander (a little part of me feels a touch bad for the person sitting next to me on the airplane), but I encourage everyone involved in production agriculture to share their story. Consumers do want to hear from us; the vast majority do not understand what we do or how we do it.

What are you most thankful for? Being born and raised in the agriculture industry and having the privilege to work in it every day. I am truly blessed to be able to talk to beef producers across the United States, while being surrounded by and supported by loving family and friends. Life’s little treasures are watching the sunrise while gathering a pasture on a cool summer morning, long chats with family and friends while enjoying the sunset over a hot meal, helping a young person achieve their goals, and the opportunity to be involved in and shape the future of the industry I love.

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? I have to admit, my husband does the majority of the cooking when we are not on the road with our jobs. He’s a phenomenal cook and his Ribeye steak on the grill is by far my favorite.

However, when I do cook, the Crockpot is my go to, typically pot roast or stew, especially when it’s cold outside. For a special occasion, chicken friend steak with mashed potatoes and gravy would be at the top of the list.

What is your favorite childhood memory? Going to the sale barn with my dad. As a cattle buyer’s daughter I was immune to foul language, the smell of a sale barn and the hum of an auctioneer. But all of the cattle buyers always made a little girl with pigtails feel like she was at home. After a long day of writing down all the lots dad had bought and maybe catching a nap on the bench at the top of barn, I could always be cheered up by a Butterfinger from the sale barn owner.

One of my other favorite ranch memories was qualifying for the national high school rodeo finals on a mare we raised on the ranch. We are now raising colts out of her and they all are being used on the ranch.

What are your guilty pleasures in life? A good glass of red wine and anything made with peanut butter (sometimes a girl needs them together).

What are some of your favorite pastimes and/or hobbies? A quote from Augustus McCrae sums it up pretty well; “Ain’t nothing better than riding a fine horse through new county.” Other hobbies are breakaway roping, team roping, ranch rodeos, raising ranch horses, showing cow horses and ranch horse versatility shows—pretty much anything with horses and cattle!!

Be sure to follow along with Kara’s life in ag, on Facebook, and Twitter!

Dawn grew up on the plains of southeastern Colorado. After graduating from high school, she moved to Idaho to be a Vet Tech before heading to Montana State University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. In 2006, Dawn moved back to Idaho, taking a job with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture, working in the State Veterinarian’s office. In 2014, Dawn became the Idaho Cattle Association’s Membership and Production Manager.  

How are you involved in agriculture today? I have the good fortune with my current position at the Idaho Cattle Association (ICA) to be involved in the industry on a daily basis. I also make it a priority to go home and help my brother a few times a year with branding, turning out, weaning or even fixing fence.

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? I think my entire being has been shaped by agriculture. Growing up in rural America in an agriculture family provided me the greatest opportunity in life to continue that tradition. My family has been involved in several different aspects of agriculture; my dad is officially retired, my brother is a cow-calf producer, my uncle is a feeder, cousins are wheat farmers, my grandpa was a seedstock producer and, once upon a time, my dad and his dad raised some very nice Quarter horses. Agriculture is just in my blood and my heart.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? I have been very fortunate to have several people inspire me over my lifetime. Watching my grandpa and granny is where a lot of my inspiration comes from. They were both very active in the cattle industry. Granny was a CowBelle for longer than I have been alive. My grandpa was a very special man, he lost his arm in a corn thatcher in his older years, but that didn’t hold him back. I can still remember climbing into his old truck to go feed cows with him. With just one hand he still managed to handle livestock in an easy, relaxed manner that I always admired.

Along with my grandparents; I had what I consider the best ag professors in the industry. Dr. Ray Ansotegui, Dr. Jan Bowman and Dr. Clayton Marlow were outstanding professors, who were a pleasure to learn from, and always went above and beyond to educate their students. I also admire a gentlemen by the name of “Sonny” Bohleen. Sonny was a lifelong rancher in Montana who became part of my family when my brother started working as a hand for him. Sonny lived for cattle and horses and it showed every day. These are just a few of the many people in my life that inspired me to continue my family traditions and have a life in the cattle industry.

How do you provide encouragement to others? This might sounds a little strange but I was always taught one way to encourage others was to be a lady. I remember being pretty young, walking down the sidewalk in town with my dad, to an event for one of my siblings. I was not very excited because I had to wear a dress and knew that I was going to have to sit and mind my manners for a long period of time. My dad took this time to explain how important it was to always be a lady. He explained no matter in life what I was doing to remember to be a lady and I would be encouraging to others. I have found this to be very true in life; whether I am encouraging a panel of millennials to learn more about the beef industry or being a role model for my niece.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? If I had the chance to speak to a large group of people I would talk about trust verses the myths of ranching. If everyone was required to take a basic 100-level animal science, range ecology and meat science class, there would not be so many misconceptions in today’s world about agriculture.

What are you most thankful for? I am most thankful for friends, family, horses and dogs.

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? My most favorite meal to cook would be prime rib, branding potatoes, coffee can bread and pecan pie (I would most likely throw in a green salad to give the table a little color).

What are your guilty pleasures in life? My guilty pleasures in life, besides really good chocolate, are really nice horses. I look back at photos of my Dad and Grandpa, and wish we still had some of the horses they used to raise. I am always trying to convince my brother we need to buy certain horses and get back into the business.

Favorite place to visit? One of my favorite places to visit is Dingle, Ireland.

What are three little known facts about you? 1) I’m a very shy person; I have to work hard to step outside of my confort zone to talk with people I don’t know. 2) I love western history; my family came to America in 1732 and I have always been fascinated with American history. 3) I think the West would never been “won” without strong, passionate, dedicated women.

Alethea may live and work in Boise, but a native Idahoan, she is not. She spent the majority of the time growing up in Hollister, Calif., where her family has ranched in the area since the 1880s. After graduating from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and with a degree in Agriculture Communications, Alethea went to work in Denver, Colo., for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, on the Issues and Reputation Management Team. This small town ranch girl managed living in the big city for two years, before wanting a change of pace. It was then she found a job with Agri Beef Co. and has been in love with Idaho ever since!

How are you involved in agriculture today? Currently, I work at Agri Beef as a Corporate Marketing Specialist, and I have been with the company two years. The really cool thing about our company is that we have operations in every aspect of the business. From ranching, to cattle feeding and nutrition, and beef processing, there is never a boring day because I am able to interact with every sector. I especially like doing our ranch to table tours that take attendees to our ranch, one of our feedyards, and our plant to let them see how we raise beef today. I am humbled to share the hard work and passion of the many people who work for us raising cattle and producing beef with those who may have never been exposed to it otherwise. Although I have many other responsibilities, this one is my favorite because it showcases the dedication of the individuals in our great company and industry.

Outside of my 8-5 job, I also have a very small cow-calf operation back in California. My parents are still kind enough to take care of them in my absence. I try and make it back as much as I can, especially during branding season, when we ship, or to pick out replacement heifers. It’d be great if I could bring my little herd further north to Idaho one of these days! A girl can dream, right!

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? I would say that every major life lesson, the values that I have, and the person I am all trace back to the ranch lifestyle that I was raised in. You learn hard work, dedication and sacrifice because holidays and normal business hours do not exist. My appreciation for life and its fleetingness were instilled in me at a young age because the beauty of life and unfortunateness of death are part of the way of life when you grow up on a ranch.

I also certainly learned to appreciate the little things, like the stale granola bar you find buried in your jacket pocket. It may have been months or, I hate to admit it, a couple of years old; but if you’ve been gathering cows all day and there is no end in sight, that granola bar—even if it turns to dust when you open it—still tastes pretty good.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? My father. Besides being the hardest working, most positive and humble man I know, he taught me from a young age to wake up and realize each day is a great day. I am thankful that at the very young age of two, he put me on my first horse and I was out “helping,” if you could call it that, on the ranch. Throughout my childhood, he made sure that if I showed interest in it I could participate. Whether that was gathering cows, roping and branding calves, A.I.’ing heifers, or evaluating and buying bulls, I could always jump in with two feet and learn. He fostered my love for the cattle business and the ranching lifestyle. He and my mom were incredibly supportive of my move to Denver and then to Boise. Even though I am in an office setting and not the ranch, his sayings play over in my head all the time. They may not be his original words of wisdom, but they will always be Dad’s sayings to me:

The littlest things make the biggest difference.

If you take the time it takes, it will take less time.

How do you provide encouragement to others? I’m not sure if you would consider my advice wise by any means. However, whenever I have the chance to talk to a high school or college age person, especially with a ranch or agriculture background, I encourage them to work away from home. Sometimes as ranch or farm kids, we can get in a big hurry to get back to the family place; but even after college, go work for someone else. You can always learn something new, get a new perspective, or even learn how not to do things. You will be better for it and so will your ranch, farm or company you work for in the long run.

Trust me, I will corner any young, bright-eyed, bushy tailed person and try to impart my small piece of wisdom upon them whether they want to hear it or not… and moms you are not allowed to hunt me down when your children start moving away.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? We care. For those of us involved in agriculture or bringing beef from ranch to table, this seems like a given. But somewhere between us and the everyday consumer, this sentiment has been lost. Our industry has been dehumanized. The more we can share how we care for our livestock, our land, and have shared values with those who are buying our products, I think we can turn this viewpoint around. It may be slow and take some time, but I believe it is possible.

What are you most thankful for? My supportive family and the lifestyle I was raised in. I honestly could not picture any other way to grow up or to view the world from.

What is your favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? I am a big breakfast fan and love cooking things from scratch, so I would have to say chicken fried steak and gravy.

Favorite store to shop in? Target. I always go in for one thing and tend to come out with 10. I have always thought that I have great self-control, until I go into Target. Then it all goes out the window, I am not sure what comes over me.

Favorite place to visit? The ranch that has been in my mom’s side of the family. It is really remote and accessible only by dirt roads. No cell service, no telephone lines, and no TV. There is a spring for water and a generator for electricity. You really feel like you can escape from the “real world.” Most people don’t believe places like that still exist, at least in California.

What are three little known facts about you? 1) I should not admit to this. I may never live it down. So I can handle spiders, snakes, even mice to a certain extent, but birds. I do not like birds…more specifically chickens, geese, ducks. I am not sure why; I was never attacked as a small child. I have no rational reason for the fear. It becomes a slight problem because our office is right on the Boise River Greenbelt and there are lots and lots of geese. I have been known to hide behind coworkers to put them between me and the geese. Embarrassing, I know. But I just cannot seem to overcome it. 2) I prefer sunrises to sunsets. I believe there is no better way to start the day than to watch the sun rise. 3) Even though I have a rather long and difficult name to pronounce, I never had a nickname as a child.