The American National CattleWomen (ANCW) celebrated its 70th anniversary, bringing together generations of women dedicated to the beef industry. Ruth Coffey, a fifth-generation cattle rancher and past ANCW president, shared her insights with Farm Director KC Sheperd on the organization’s history, the importance of mentorship, and the crucial role women play in shaping the future of agriculture.
A Legacy of Service and Mentorship:
Coffey, wearing her mother’s coat, spoke of her family’s long-standing involvement with cattlewomen. “My mom was a cattle woman – actually, Oklahoma Cattlewomen president in 1979,” she recalled. “She always wanted me to be involved and give service to other organizations.”
She emphasized the importance of mentorship within the organization. “That’s the great thing about our cattlewomen,” Coffey said. “We love to be able to mentor and bring up the next generations to continue sharing our beef stories of how we take care of our cattle and feed the world.”
From Oklahoma to National Leadership:
Coffey described her journey to becoming ANCW president as “a unique decision.” “I couldn’t imagine being a part of such a large organization of ladies that represent cattlewomen from all of our states,” she explained. “It was so comforting as I went to each of the state meetings how much of just a unified spirit [there is] and how we pushed for our ability to be able to spread the word about beef.”
Inspiring the Next Generation:
A key theme of the celebration was inspiring the next generation. Coffey stressed the power of storytelling. “You know, when I was growing up, the people that I remember most when I was a child were the people that told stories and also told how they did things in the cattle industry,” she said.
She also highlighted the need to support young people entering the industry. “I have met people who are fresh out of college, they don’t have the upfront monies to be able to buy a veterinary business or a ranch or whatever,” Coffey noted. She suggested connecting these individuals with experienced ranchers to help them “make a vision for them to where they can continue in agriculture and continue on with our stories.”
Telling the Beef Story:
Coffey shared an impactful statement on the panel: “If we don’t tell our stories, somebody else will.” She followed that up with, “There are plenty of people that think they know what we do, and they don’t have even a finger in agriculture. I feel like that is something we must stay on. When we’re asked to get out there and try to explain to our consumers and those that don’t know anything about agriculture – our schools and every place that we can think of – that they aren’t getting a true vision of what we do, get out there and spread the word to them as what you do and how you go about it.”
Women’s Impact on the Industry:
Coffey discussed how women have changed the beef industry. “I believe women have changed our industry by making themselves available more,” she said. “You know, in the past, we stayed at home most generally and took care of our kids and our families. Those are the unsung heroes, but they don’t have the speaking opportunities to be able to share with people. And so I feel like women must continue to make themselves available and and be able to be out there and tell our story so we can make sure the next generations know what we do.”
Looking to the Future:
Coffey expressed hope for the future of cattlewomen. “It’s my hope and prayer that the ladies coming up in our collegiate cattlewomen groups come and be a part of our organizations,” she said. “And they see the importance of why we do what we do to get our word out and continue and find the best ways to reach the public when they’re in our organizations.”
