“I’ve been really blessed that a sense of family and history and roots and legacy have always been real for my family.” – Rachel Herbert.

Alberta author busts myths about history of women in ranching

Rachel Herbert mined her own family’s ranching legacy to document the roles women played in establishing and sustaining family ranches

When Rachel Herbert thinks about ranching, she thinks about all the women who came before her. She thinks of her great-grandmother, pulling the ranch through the Great Depression after her husband’s death. She thinks of her grandmother, who raised her family on the ranch, and her own mother, who found her way back to it […] Read more

Danika Mayer in the show ring.

First-generation cattlewoman earns her cowboy boots

Danika Mayer channels empathy and experience gained in nursing into career as beef producer

[Update: December 9, 2023] Starting small is better than not starting at all, and first-generation rancher Danika Mayer knows that better than most. Without growing up with any direct connection to the beef industry, the enthusiastic Canadian Cattle Young Leaders program graduate has made many miles, carving out her place in the Canadian beef industry, […] Read more


Dr. Roger Davis, based in Alberta, continues to influence embryo transplant technology in Canada and around the world.

Embryo evolution: Transplant technology fuels a career for Roger Davis

Dr. Roger Davis reflects on what he’s learned after decades as a leader in the embryo transfer and export business

Canadian beef cattle genetics have improved over decades as trends, production methods and market access channels evolve. Dr. Roger Davis, one of the founders of Davis-Rairdan Embryo Transplants, an elite embryo export business, is synonymous with the advancement and movement of beef cattle genetics. Throughout Davis’s notable career, he has been actively involved in spearheading […] Read more

“I’m hoping to not be the first generation and the last generation of ranchers at Difficulty Ranch. My kids are very involved in the environmental aspects, they ask lots of questions.” – Sean LaBrie.

Retired police officer finds passion in ranching

PEOPLE: Sean LaBrie found a second career as a rancher, and a zeal for restoring the land on his Didsbury-area ranch

When Sean LaBrie started his career with the Calgary Police Service, he likely didn’t realize that by the time he retired he’d be on a ranch an hour outside of the city, raising cattle on 640 acres. At that point in his life, cattle were barely more than a passing thought. Now, they’re his way […] Read more


cattle in a field

Veterinarian pushes back against bias in ag and vet communities

Despite the vet shortage, some veterinarians feel less than welcome, says one vet

Dr. Sydney Crosby’s career path is a perfect example of taking the route less travelled by. It hasn’t been an easy road, but her passion has sustained her on the journey. Growing up in Athens, Georgia, she wasn’t introduced to beef medicine until she took an agriculture program at the University of Georgia. But today […] Read more

Don Campbell poses by the cow herd in April 2023.

Don Campbell on lifelong learning and personal growth

This long-time rancher and educator reflects on how holistic management has helped him make better decisions

Meadow Lake rancher Don Campbell has long been a holistic management advocate and a catalyst for change. Campbell and his wife Bev are household names within the global holistic management community, but Campbell also garnered a mainstream audience of beef and forage producers as a long-time contributor to Canadian Cattlemen. Campbell’s career as a rancher and […] Read more