Meet the RancHERs

Three Alberta women bring a fresh look to our province’s 35,000 beef cattle producers.

The Alberta Cattle Commission has launched a new twist in its famous Alberta Beef promotion campaign. The 2001 version highlights the role of women in successful beef production.

The three ranchers – namely Erin Butters, 22; Patti Scott, 37; and Lenore McLean, 61 – have been dubbed Alberta Beef RancHERs. They represent the feminine version of the hugely successful “If it ain’t Alberta, it ain’t Beef” campaign which featured a trio of male ranchers in 1988.

“Research told us our longstanding original campaign promoting cattlemen was still being well received,” states Michael Bird, Alberta Beef rancher and Promotions Committee Chairman for the Alberta Cattle Commission. But “it was time to update the image so we chose to profile female ranchers who own and operate their own ranches.”

“Women have always been strong contributors to the success of ranches,” notes Scott, a fourthgeneration rancher and single mother of two. As owner and operator of Glenbow Ranch, a cow-calf operation in Sundrie, Alberta, Scott continues to forge ahead in a male-dominated industry.

“Being a rancher means filling the roles of mechanic, welder and animal health technician. I’ve come to rely on myself when I’m faced with a challenge.”

Lenore McLean, a full-time rancher with her husband Roy, also operates Highland View Guest Ranch with her daughters-in-law. McLean believes that the ingenuity of homestead women has contributed to the success of ranching for generations. But it’s taken a lot of work to get that credit.

“Women are working successfully in many nontraditional roles with increasing numbers joining Alberta’s force of beef producers,” she says. “We three Alberta Beef RancHERs are not only good at what we do, we’ve also gained the respect of our colleagues,”

Erin Butters, fifth generation rancher and the youngest of the trio, represents the future of ranching in Alberta. She’s worked on her family’s ranch all her life and after completing her degree in Psychology, she plans to return to ranch life with her husband. She’s dedicated to blending new technologies with traditional methods to create the best quality beef on the planet.

“My sisters and I intend to keep the ranch in the family, focusing toward a commercial crossbreed operation involving Polled Charolais and Red Angus.”

The campaign is expected to have a long life, with the three women acting as Alberta Beef ambassadors at functions and events across the province throughout the coming year.