Jun 3, 2025
Montana rancher Amber Smith didn't grow up in
agriculture, but ranching became her life's work.
As a young adult Kristen Kipp left the family
ranch in the Blackfeet but felt a deep longing to go back to her
home and the work of raising livestock.
Amber is the executive director of Women
in Ranching, which was first a part of the Western Landowners Alliance and then later became an
independent non-profit, and Kristen is a board member. They talk
about raising families on the ranch, about discrimination against
women and Native people in agriculture, and about leadership that
challenges the dominant model––and is often more effective because
it brings people together and gives them all their own voice.