Amber Smith is a Montana-based rancher and the Executive Director of Women in Ranching, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to hold brave space, support courageous action, and champion rural women’s leadership on the land. Offering a blend of in-person and virtual events, Women in Ranching has filled a unique niche across a wide range of rural communities in the West and beyond. From skill-building workshops to virtual kitchen table chats to multi-day on-the-ground experiences, Women in Ranching offers a much-needed, supportive network for women whose families and livelihoods are closely tied to agriculture and the land.
Amber was born and raised in Illinois, and she met her now-husband Trevor while working at a ranch in Colorado. They fell in love, got married, and today Amber and Trevor have two young children and a successful ranching business in eastern Montana. As you’ll hear in our conversation, when Amber was first introduced to Women in Ranching several years ago, she felt an immediate connection to the organization’s work– the connection was so strong that she eventually took the helm as the organization’s leader. And earlier this year, after several years under the umbrella of Western Landowners Alliance, Women in Ranching became its own freestanding nonprofit organization- an exciting next step for the organization’s continued growth and evolution.
Amber and I met more than five years ago on the Antelope Springs Ranch, the ranch that she and Trevor continue to steward to this day. I was immediately impressed with her energy, dedication to her community, and ability to juggle many competing priorities with grace and humor. I’ve been following her leadership with Women in Ranching for many years now, and it was a real pleasure to have the opportunity to reconnect and have such an inspiring conversation. We talked about the purpose and mission of Women in Ranching and how the organization has evolved in unexpected ways. We discuss some of the specific challenges facing women ranchers and how Women in Ranching works to address those needs. We discussed the pandemic’s effect on ranching communities, how Amber tries to find balance in her life, how she has been positively impacted by the organization, some specific success stories, her favorite books, and much more. Be sure to check out the episode notes for a complete list of everything we discussed.
To learn more about Women in Ranching and to support its work, head over to www.womeninranching.co. Huge thanks to Amber for all of her hard work, and thanks to you for listening. Hope you enjoy.
Header photograph courtesy of Grasslands LLC, Headshot courtesy of Amber Smith
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EPISODE NOTES
Topics Discussed:
- 4:00 – Amber describes Women in Ranching
- 17:30 – Amber talks about how her work with elders impacted how she approaches her work and life
- 22:30 – Amber discusses Women in Ranching and how its work was influenced by the pandemic
- 29:00 – Amber talks about who comes to the Confluence
- 30:30 – Amber discusses the current form of Women in Ranching
- 35:00 – Amber talks about the early stages of Women in Ranching becoming their own organization
- 40:00 – Amber explains her outlook on life balance and managing overwhelm
- 45:30 – Amber discusses how she learned to deal with a new kind of challenge in her work with Women in Ranching
- 56:00 – Amber talks about how the shift in Women in Ranching from WLA program to its own organization impacted her as a person
- 1:05:45 – How folks can get involved and support Women in Ranching
- 1:10:15 – Amber talks about books that have influenced her
- 1:14:30 – Amber’s parting words of wisdom
Information Referenced:
- Women in Ranching: Website & Instagram
- Quivira Coalition
- Regenerate conference
- Paicines Ranch
- TomKat Ranch
- Elaine Patarini
- Wendy Millet
- Steamboat Springs, CO
- Western Landowners Alliance
- Lesli Allison
- Holistic management
- Extension service
- Ranching for Profit
- Savory Institute
- Nicki Silvestri
- Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Tribe by Sebastian Junger
- Paul Farmer
- Andrea Malmberg
- Tony Malmberg
- Green Grass and the Spring by Tony Malmberg
- Pretty-shield: Medicine Woman of the Crows by Frank B. Linderman
- River House by Sarahlee Lawrence
- Rainshadow Organics
- Alzada, MT
- The Long Way Home: Journeys of a Chinese Montanan by Flora Wong
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- Matt Pierson – Finding New Solutions for Food Insecurity
- Shane Doyle – Reverence for the Past, Hope for the Future
- Antonia Malchik – Exploring Culture & Complexity
- Iris Gardner – Living with Intention
- Daniela Ibarra-Howell – Healing the Land Holistically
- Jessica Ilalaole – Creating Home in the High Desert
Visit the podcast page for a full list of episodes where you can filter episodes by topic and guests’ vocations.
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