Casey Matzke, the president-elect of the American National CattleWomen (ANCW), shared that she didn’t come from a traditional agricultural background, telling Oklahoma Farm Report’s Carli Davenport, “My grandparents had some cattle when we were little,” she explained, but it wasn’t until college that her passion truly formed. “I ended up taking an animal science class as an elective and I immediately fell in love with it.” That course led her to double major and eventually join the Aggie CattleWomen collegiate chapter, where her “passion for the industry really blossomed.”
Casey explained that ANCW is a national organization made up of “close to 25 different state affiliates across the United States,” including Texas and Oklahoma. The group focuses on three core pillars: “education, promotion, and legislation.” One distinguishing feature of ANCW is its ability to engage in advocacy work. “Every year, we take a trip to DC and do that,” she noted. “That’s one thing that’s different from Texas CattleWomen, it’s written in our bylaws that we can’t legislate.”
When asked what led her to seek the presidency, Casey reflected on finishing her term as Texas CattleWomen president. “Maybe I can do some great things at the national level, too.” After conversations with family and colleagues, she realized it was the right move. “Everybody said this would be a great thing for you to do,” she said. Despite early uncertainty, her confidence grew: “I didn’t know what I was really getting into, but I was like, you know what? We’re going to do it and hopefully we can make a positive impact for the industry.”
One of Casey’s proudest initiatives is Grilling 101, a program she’s eager to expand nationally. “Basically, what we do is, I go across Texas and teach people how to grill.” Using a basic charcoal grill and affordable cuts like flat-iron steak, she empowers participants—especially youth and college students—with practical cooking skills. “When they leave there, they feel so empowered, they think, oh, man, I can do this on a budget.” which is great beef promotion.
Finally, Casey highlighted upcoming WIRED (Women in Ranching Education and Development) events in Wyoming, Canyon, Texas, and possibly Hawaii next year. She emphasized that ANCW is much more than a membership group. “To me, this is a place where I have met so many amazing women across the United States,” she said. “It’s more of a sisterhood to me.” Whether it’s support on the road or encouragement in leadership, she said, “I could always pick up the phone and there would be someone there to take care of me… It has just become more than just a regular organization.”
