Cattleman U is helping farmers and ranchers—especially women in agriculture—gain practical skills, business knowledge and confidence through online education, downloadable tools, grant guidance, podcasts and hands-on ranch experiences. In a conversation with Associate Farm Reporter Carli Davenport, Cattleman U owner Karoline Rose shared how the platform was born during the COVID-19 pandemic and has grown into a one-stop educational hub for agricultural producers.
Rose said the idea came after seeing educational opportunities disappear during the pandemic. “During COVID, I really started noticing that most other conferences were going home, and people were watching them virtually, and ag conferences were getting canceled,” Rose said. “I thought, what a disservice that we can’t and don’t have an avenue to bring education to farmers and ranchers where they’re at. They’re in the tractor. They’re driving up and down the road. They’re in the office.”
She said the mission quickly evolved beyond simply providing educational content. “In 2022, Cattleman U really shifted to be focused on women in agriculture and empowering women to know that operations really need their creativity and their softness and just their different perspective to have successful operations,” Rose said. “Cattleman U was designed to empower them and give them the tools to be able to sit at that business table and be part of the operation.”
Resource Hub Designed for Real-World Agriculture
One of the website’s biggest features is its resource hub, which includes business planning tools, budgeting worksheets, personality assessments and farm-to-table pricing resources. “What we wanted to do is just provide as much information and downloads as we could, so people can feel empowered and have documentation to grow their operation,” Rose said.
She noted that the resources are intended to meet producers wherever they are in their agricultural journey. “We really tried to be proactive and think about all of these opportunities and how we can provide a resource based on where everyone is in their operation and in their growth,” she said.
Grant Guide Opens Doors for Agricultural Operations
Rose said one of the most popular resources is the website’s agriculture grant guide, inspired by her own success securing funding. “We actually got about almost $200,000 worth of grants in one calendar year,” Rose said.
After repeatedly being asked how she found and applied for grants, Rose decided to create a guide that walks producers through the process. “People kept approaching us and saying, ‘How’d you do it? How’d you find the grants? Did you hire a grant writer?'” she said. “So we created a resource, and we actually show you one of the grant applications that was awarded money, so you know exactly what our application looked like so you can feel confident in yours.”
The guide is updated monthly to include new opportunities while removing expired programs. “There is so much free money out there,” Rose said. “There is tons of opportunity, and I feel like grants are something that can really help operations move ahead.”
She pointed to one of her largest awards—a $50,000 Montana Department of Tourism grant—that helped fund three cabins on her ranch. “That was a huge investment in our operation that has really taken us to the next level,” she said. “Again, it’s free money.”
Building Confidence Through Hands-On Ranch Experience
Beyond online education, Rose also hosts women’s ranch camps in Montana that immerse participants in everyday cattle operations. “There is no other camp quite like ours,” she said.
Camp attendees work cattle alongside experienced producers and veterinarians, learning skills such as branding, vaccinating, ear tagging, sorting, pregnancy checking, semen testing and chute operation. “Confidence is built through action,” Rose said. “They’re going to run the chute when we process about 200 head… so they can build those habits and they can feel confident in doing that activity before they move on to the next.”
Podcast Shares Honest Agriculture Conversations
The Cattleman U podcast has grown to nearly 200 episodes, giving producers another way to learn while working around the ranch. “We just talk about issues and talk about things that are important to us, things we see in the industry,” Rose said. “We just really have a ton of fun bringing knowledge and information to people.”
One of the podcast’s most popular episodes recounts Rose’s decision to lease a ranch after finding the opportunity on Facebook Marketplace. “I remember saying, ‘If I don’t do it now, I’m gonna regret it,'” Rose said.
She hopes listeners understand that confidence often follows action rather than preceding it. “Sometimes you just have to act even before you have the rest of it lined up,” she said. “You just have to take the action.”
Encouraging More Women to Lead in Agriculture
As the interview concluded, Rose shared her advice for young producers, particularly women looking to become more involved in agriculture. “For a long time, there has been a lot of conversations about being more like the men,” she said. “But actually, what makes us the most valuable that we can be on an operation is when we’re more like ourselves.”
She believes women bring unique strengths that can improve agricultural businesses. “When we bring that creativity, we bring that different perspective, we bring that softness, we bring that calmness to the table, we make operations better,” Rose said.
Rose encouraged women to recognize the value they already bring to the industry. “Operations that are going to be successful in the next couple generations have to have creativity,” she said. “Women need to know that they got to sit at the business table. They are invaluable to operations, and we really need more women involved in agriculture.”
