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.

Sarah Baker grew up on the East Fork of the Salmon River and is the 6th generation on her family’s cattle ranching operation. Sarah graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Agriculture Business from the College of Southern Idaho in 1999, a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Range Livestock Management from the University of Idaho (UI) in 2002, and a Master’s of Science degree in Meat Science from UI in 2004. Following graduation, Sarah worked for the Idaho Beef Council for more than 4 years as the Program Director, before moving back to her family’s ranch. She currently works for the University of Idaho Extension and serves as the “County Agent” in Custer County. 

How are you involved in agriculture and/or beef industry today? I am very fortunate that I am able to live on the ranch and work in agriculture. Between my job at the Extension Office and helping on the ranch in my spare time, I am immersed in the beef industry every single day!

With my job in Extension, I take research based information from the University and disseminate it to the public through a variety of ways. My job focuses primarily on beef production and range management, but because I am the only one in the office, I also provide leadership and programming in 4-H youth development, forage production, horticulture and community development. I get to do something different every day and most of it is outside of the office. Many days seem like mass chaos because in a single day I can go from answering questions about a diseased tree to identifying bugs and weeds, helping a 4-H member with their record book, running rations for a winter beef feeding program, determining how much hay to buy, making fertilizer recommendations for a producer’s alfalfa field based off of soil samples and end up helping a permittee monitor their range allotment. There is never a dull moment in the Extension Office.

When I’m not working, I’m busy helping on the ranch. When I start complaining about never getting any time off, I remember what my Gramps told me, “You can sleep when you’re dead.”

How has your life been shaped by agriculture and/or beef industry? My family has been in the ranching business for more than 100 years. My Grandpa’s great grandfather arrived on the East Fork in 1888 and today the Bakers are still going strong. A lot of things have changed since 1888, but I feel very fortunate that I was born into a family that has a strong work ethic and good business sense. They have endured a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but through all of the ups and downs, they have persevered. Today, thanks to them, the East Fork valley is one of the most pristine areas in the whole state. The vast open spaces, including the green, lush fields, abundant wildlife and rivers full of fish are evidence of six generations of Bakers. I truly live in God’s country. It is no wonder those greenies wanted to make this place into a National Monument!

During college, I was fortunate to be able to serve on the first slate of “interns” for the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in Denver, Colo., in 2002. I was hooked after attending my first convention. I knew I had to return and become involved! The following year, I was selected again to help at convention, this time in Nashville, Tenn. Attending those two conventions, and learning about the policy-making process, and meeting NCBA staff and cattlemen from all over the country, really got me excited to get more involved. I was involved in my state association already, having served in leadership roles of the Student Idaho Cattle Association (SICA) while at college. I was selected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Idaho Cattle Association (ICA) in 2003, which was a huge honor for a “snot-nosed college student,” and a responsibility I took very seriously. I served on the Board for 4 years and on the Executive Committee for 2 years while I was Chairman of the Idaho CattleWomen Council. These experiences afforded me the opportunity to become involved, make my voice heard, and really learn about the benefits of belonging to state and national cattle organizations.

Being raised on the East Fork helped to shape me into a strong, independent and responsible person. I appreciate the value of a dollar and what it means to put in a hard day’s work. Being active in the Student ICA, as well as the ICA and NCBA, coupled with my education, enthusiasm and enormous passion for the beef industry, all have been a huge influence on who I am today.

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? My Grandpa always inspired me. He was my partner in crime ever since I can remember. We always had a special bond and I was with him from a very young age all the way up to his passing on June 27, 2014. When I lost Gramps, he was 92 years old. It was an extremely tough time for me and my family losing him, although we know he lived a rich and full life. He was born on the East Fork, and he passed away on the East Fork. We spread his ashes on a mountain overlooking the ranch in the sage brush and pine trees. I can look up every day from my house and see his final resting place. It brings me peace to know that he is now watching over us as we continue on his ranching legacy. When I think of him, I can’t help but smile. His hard work ethic, his can-do attitude, his appreciation for a cold beer after a long hot day in the hayfield, his love of sweets and good horses, his contagious smile and laugh….those memories continue to inspire me every single day.

How do you provide encouragement to others? I manage the 4-H program in Custer County, which gives youth hands-on, real-world experience that they need to become leaders. When I think of how I can provide encouragement to others, I think about the 4-H slogan of “Learn by Doing.” I encourage people to learn by doing. Don’t just listen to what others say—in order to make informed decisions, you have to get out there and experience it and do it yourself. When the Wilderness Society started their push to make our backyard a National Monument, the first thing we did was invite them to come to our ranch. We invited them into our homes and gave them a firsthand view of what ranching, and managed public lands grazing, does for the environment. The reason there is abundant fish and wildlife on the East Fork is because of the good stewardship by ranchers on both private and public lands.

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? I would encourage people to think about where their food comes from before they spout off misinformation about farming and ranching. When people are uneducated and base decisions on emotion rather than facts, agriculture is in a world of hurt.  The people that are making decisions in this country need a healthy dose of reality about where their food comes from—and what it takes from ranchers and farmers to make it happen.

Custer County is comprised of 97 percent public lands, thus the use of public lands for grazing is essential to the survival of the ranches here. Simply put, there is not enough private pasture available to make it economically feasible to run a cow, unless you can utilize public lands grazing permits. Through the years, it has become increasingly difficult to run cows on public lands. What happens when it is no longer feasible to utilize public lands for grazing cattle? My dad always said, “When the cows go off the mountain, the ranchers go too.” I wonder if the greenies will enjoy the sub-divisions and development more than the vast open spaces that ranchers help sustain? I know the wildlife won’t like it as much.

So I guess my message would be to quit slapping the hand that feeds you! People should be helping ranchers and farmers sustain their livelihoods, instead of trying to run them out of business!

What are you most thankful for? I am most thankful for my family. They are the reason I took this job in Extension and moved home. When I have a rough day at work, or things get stressful, I always have my family to fall back on. We were blessed with the 7th generation of Bakers when my nephew Grant was born in August of 2004. He is the pride and joy of the Baker family and he always brings a smile to my face. I am also thankful that my family provided me with the opportunity to grow up on a ranch in the middle of God’s country. Every morning when I wake up and see Castle Peak out my living room window, I am thankful.

What is you favorite meal to cook yourself or for others? Beef of course! I love to cut meat and then grill it up on the BBQ. My favorite cut is the petite tender, but you can’t find them anywhere, unless you cut up your own beef. So I would have to say my other favorite is a ribeye steak. Pair that with some Cleto macaroni (an old family recipe), and a green salad from Mom’s garden, and man oh man. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

What is your favorite childhood memory? Riding with my Grandpa. Whether we were moving cows, packing salt, hunting horns, or riding into a high mountain lake to go fishing, I spent a lot of time in the saddle trying to keep up my with my Gramps (I swear he trotted everywhere we went). I miss those days a lot, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

What are some of your favorite pastimes and/or hobbies? I love to team rope, even though with my job in Extension (lots of evening and weekend meetings), I don’t ever seem to have any time to go rope! I also really like to fish. There is nothing better than fishing for steelhead in the spring in the Salmon River, or ice fishing at Jimmy Smith Lake in the winter.

What are three little known facts about you? 1) We only get mail delivered twice a week on East Fork, so Tuesdays and Fridays are big days when the mail arrives! 2) We don’t have cell phone service on East Fork and I love it that way. 3) I love to cut meat. If anyone needs help cutting up an elk, deer or a beef, call me!

We encourage you to keep up with Sarah, by following her on Facebook and Twitter!

Jayme is a 4^th generation cattle rancher, born and raised in Mackay, Idaho. She and her husband, Matt, currently reside in Shelley. They have three sons, Jackson, Mattson and Dawson.

How are you involved in agriculture today? My husband and I have a cow-calf operation and raise Quarter horses. We raise alfalfa hay and other forages that we use to winter our cattle on. My husband is also a representative for Western Video Market, which gives us the opportunity to meet new people, see different country and ranches, and deal with a lot of cattle. 

How has your life been shaped by agriculture? I have been involved in agriculture my entire life. My husband and I are both the 4th generation of our families to be in the cattle business; and we are both so proud of our roots, and how we were raised. Because of that, I always knew I wanted to raise my family in a traditional ranching environment. We juggle the boy’s activities and school along with our work on the ranch, making sure they still get to be involved in things, even if we’re busy. It takes a team effort to make everything work, but we happen to be a pretty good one!

Who inspires you or serves as a mentor? I am inspired by all women who have walked in the shoes of being a rancher’s wife. The ladies who keep a clean house, do laundry, and have tidy yards, as well as gather cows, brand calves, and have a delicious meal on the table to feed the crew. My Grandma, Hilda Goddard, is simply amazing. She has cooked meals that have fed an army—anyone and everyone was always welcome at her dinner table. She drove the water truck, fixed fence, sorted cows, baked her own bread, made homemade Christmas presents, sewed anything imaginable, and has a love for the Lord that has been an example to us all. She is such a blessing to me, and to our family. At 93, she still manages to drive and live by herself; she’s definitely one tough cookie! I always hope to be a real rancher’s wife, just like her.

How do you provide encouragement to others? Life is so short and each day is a blessing. Never miss a chance to tell someone you love them or appreciate them. I still call people (not text), especially on their birthdays. I love sending “Thank You” cards, and I always try to put little notes inside my boy’s lunch boxes or on the mirrors telling them I love them and to have a great day!! Each day is what you make of it…choose to be happy!

If given the chance, what message about agriculture or the beef industry would you share with a large group of people? I wish the general population was more respectful of agriculture, and had more of an appreciation for what we do. I believe that a lot of people think that farmers and ranchers aren’t smart enough to do anything else, and that is so unbelievably far from the truth. It takes a lot of smarts to successfully put food of the tables of hundreds of people, especially when there is no guaranteed price for the goods we’re selling.

What are you most thankful for? I am so thankful that I was able to grow up as daddy’s little cowboy girl. I think a lot of that has to do with why I get to be married to my best friend, and can raise our boys on a ranch. I am so thankful for each and every one of my family members—I am so blessed, and I thank God for that every day. 

What is your favorite meal to cook? I hate to say it, but I’m not the handiest in the kitchen. I wish I was, and I’m sure Matt does too, but thankfully he’s not picky and always eats whatever I come up with. I do make a dish called “Spicy Baked Hamburger Rice.” It’s hardy, and has a nice little kick to it. My boys seem to like it because they always ask for it. If I need something quick and easy, I’ll throw tacos together, because they’re pretty fool-proof. This time of year I start doing more stuff in the crockpot; that way it’s ready when we get home from a long day of sorting or hauling cows.

What is your favorite store to shop in? I love to shop with my mom! We like Sundance Catalog Outlet, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, Target and Macy’s. You can always find good sales, clearance items , and coupons at those places. I also love to shop little boutiques and good antique stores, Cal Stores, and D&B Supply. Being married to a saddle maker I have grown to have an appreciation for saddle shops and good leather.

What are a few of your favorite hobbies or pastimes? I exercise a lot and try to make it a part of my every day routine. I try to stay healthy and eat right. I’m a pretty big sports fan, and its proving to be more exciting as our oldest son is now playing football and running track for the College of Idaho. I love raising our baby colts—watching them grow, selling them, and seeing what other people do with them. It makes us proud when people will call and tell us they love their horse they bought from us. We have many returning customers and it has built some great friendships. 

What is your favorite childhood memory? I have so many wonderful memories it is hard to tell about just one. Gathering cows when I was little with my family, and the pine trees would brush me off my 16-hands tall, gelding. I loved the smell of the sagebrush after it just rained, or the sun coming up over the hill when we would trot out. Going hunting with my brother before school, and hearing the sound of an elk bugling. Family dinners, church on Sundays, small town parades and rodeos; I loved high school rodeo, and the two years I qualified for Nationals. The snowstorm where we were snowed in for 9 days and had to ride a snow machine to get to the tractor so we could feed cows. Getting to drive the farm truck for the first time all by myself, calving seasons, jumping the bread loaf hay bales and “educating” the city cousins when they came to visit. One Christmas my dad cut out shapes of blocks of wood and gave them to a needy family for their kids. We also had a swimming hole on our ranch in Mackay, called Parson’s, which every kid in town knew about. We swam there every summer night! I wouldn’t trade my childhood for anything!!

Be sure to keep up with Jayme on Facebook, and Instagram!

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.

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