Can you start by telling us a little bit about P Bar Ranch and how you and your family came to ranching? Did you ranch growing up? If not, what drew you to this lifestyle?

The P Bar Ranch is located in the Boulder River Valley, south of Big Timber, MT. It is truly a special place owned by Tom and Kristi Patterson. My husband and I along with our two kids manage the ranch. 

My husband grew up ranching in Colorado, but I grew up in the suburbs of Phoenix, so was a city girl, although, the love of horses ran deep and I rode and owned horses throughout my childhood and into college. I was always drawn to the ranching lifestyle and wanted to be in the wide open spaces and be on the land with animals. It was always just a longing in my heart from a young age. When my husband and I got married, we moved to Montana and have been ranching together ever since. It has been a dream come true for me. 

Can you tell us about your current operation and balancing direct-to-consumer meats with the ranching side of the business?

We are a yearling operation and focus on regenerative practices to steward the land and ecosystem well. Some of the yearlings are retained and go into our direct-to-consumer meat label, Cowgirl Meat Co. We also have some pork that we raise and sell directly to our customers. The two sides of the business work really well together and compliment each other. The good things we do for the land in the end make a better, more nutrient dense product that we sell to our customers. Healthy soil creates healthy grass which creates healthy cattle which produces quality and nutritious meat in the end. 

When did you create the Cowgirl Meat Co. label and what prompted that?

Cowgirl Meat Co was born out of a desire to raise healthy meat to feed my family and quickly turned into a desire to share the kind of meat we raise with other people. I started the meat company in 2015 and we have grown and evolved over the years, always with the same goal of providing the best meat we can to our customers.

Can you tell us about doing your own branding and marketing and what that has been like? What has been challenging and what has been successful?

Branding and marketing has been one of the most humbling things for me in starting a meat company. I started by building everything myself- the brand, the website, social media. It felt overwhelming and like a moving target, and honestly still does some days. Over the years I have leaned on talented people to help me re-brand with a new logo and website which helped elevate our business. Some of our best marketing success has come from farmers markets, word of mouth, google ads, and some publications that have shared our story. The biggest challenge is we are a very small company and I run all operations myself with the help of my husband and kids, so it definitely feels like a hustle many days to make it all work and I have had to learn to be content in the marketing efforts I can do as there can be a lot of outside pressures saying there is always more that can be done. There is only so much time in a day to get it all done between ranch work, chores, kids, and running a business! 

Why regenerative ranching? What does that look like on the P Bar Ranch, and what does that term mean to you?

Regenerative ranching is important to us as we believe it is about stewarding the land well so it thrives for the long term while raising healthy and happy animals. For me, it means managing in a way that improves soil health, supports biodiversity, and leaves the land better than when we found it. We are constantly learning and being curious to what the land and animals show us but the goal is to build health and resilience in our land and food system. 

What animals are you currently raising for Cowgirl Meat Co.? 

We currently raise beef and heritage breed pork. Both are raised with a focus on quality of life, good nutrition, and as low stress as possible handling. Our cattle are grass fed and finished and all of our meat is antibiotic and added hormone free. 

Have you had any mentors over the years, or who makes up your support system?

Absolutely- I look back and realize how important mentors and support is in this line of work, and life in general. Other ranchers have shared their knowledge generously, fellow women in agriculture have encouraged me, and other business owners have taught me about entrepreneurship. My husband is my biggest support and sounding board as well as our team here at the P Bar Ranch. And my kids remind me daily why this work matters and why we live the lifestyle we do. We have also found an incredible community of customers, neighbors, and friends who support what we do and believe in the work we are doing. 

Can you tell us a bit about Spurring Change? 

Spurring Change is my equine coaching business. I started Spurring Change in 2012, born out of my own journey of healing and growth through time spent with horses. I’ve experienced firsthand how powerful horses can be in helping us reconnect- with ourselves, with others, and with what really matters. 

I wanted to create a space where others could access horses in this way on their own journey of healing in an authentic and meaningful way.