In the heart of Big Sky country, sisters Katie and Kelsy Cooper grew up on the family ranch in friendly competition with each other and their two other sisters. Now, the sister duo works together alongside their parents to uphold the time-honored legacy of Cooper Hereford Ranch, the family’s historic cattle operation.
“We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We’re at a point in our lives where we complement one another instead of competing with each other.” Katie told WLJ, referring to she and Kelsy’s relationship.
Early on, their parents emphasized the importance of giving their best effort in everything they did. This characteristic has remained steadfast for the pair, and hard work and tenacity drive every venture Katie and Kelsy undertake. This is clearly demonstrated in the role each sister plays on the ranch and within the broader industry.
Expanding roots
Katie and Kelsy set off on their own paths following high school graduation but found their way back to the family ranch as adults. Each of them headed west to California for college, where Kelsy attended Dominican University as part of the basketball team, studying journalism and marketing, and Katie attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, studying bio resource and agricultural engineering.
Bound by a tight-knit family and a united passion for agriculture, Katie and Kelsy knew they would make their way back to Montana one day. Kelsy, along with her husband, Dave, have been back on the family ranch for about 15 years now. Katie and her husband, Luke, followed five years later after working as a civil engineer in California’s water resources industry.
Kelsy said her transition back to the ranch felt natural, as she helped with the ranch’s marketing during college, and after graduating her parents were in need of an extra hand. Katie’s path back to the ranch was spurred when Luke found himself at a transition point in his career, which led them to Montana to start a construction company. Katie noted she was initially more involved in their construction business but has become invested in the ranch over the past five years.
In addition to her role on the ranch, Katie has served the industry through her time on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) for two three-year terms.
“The development of my leadership and the mentors I’ve met, along with the friendships I’ve built nationally and within Montana, have made it a wonderful opportunity,” Katie said.
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Katie currently serves on the CBB’s Beef Promotion Operating Committee and Stakeholder Engagement Committee. Her time on the board will be concluding at this year’s National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CattleCon, where she will sit on the Nominating Committee and help usher in new leadership.
Kelsy proudly noted Katie’s growth in industry involvement over the years.
Her next leadership role begins with her first year on the Montana Stockgrowers Association’s Water Policy Committee.
The next generation
Katie and Kelsy work alongside their parents, Mark and Cristy, and Dave on the family ranch. The ranch raises registered Line 1 Hereford cattle in addition to farming hay and grain.
As the fourth generation, Kelsy said there’s pressure to know they are the next cog in the wheel for passing the legacy onto the next generation, but she’s grateful to “share the trials and triumphs with my husband and sister.”
She added, “There’s something really magnetic about getting the opportunity to play a small role in a legacy. It’s a gift to know I’m awarded the chance to pass along values and assets given to me by previous generations to a future generation.”
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Katie called it a privilege for multiple generations to work alongside each other, as everyone brings something to the table and each person is valued.
“There’s nothing better than having the opportunity to learn from someone of a different generation,” she said. “Family operations teach you that the sum is greater than the parts.”
To ensure the ranch continues for many more years, the family has prioritized sustainability and efficiency. Sustainability, a popular buzz word these days, has always been a part of the family’s management practices. The ranch has been utilizing intensive grazing since the ’80s, yet they find themselves every year moving fence boundaries, rotating different directions or adjusting group sizes. Katie credits Kelsy with keeping the ranch progressive from a sustainability standpoint.
“On our operation, we’ve learned a lot by watching how the land or cattle react to our actions,” the sisters said. “It can be exhausting because you feel like you’re always tweaking or adjusting protocols or plans. But it’s important to see how the land and animals respond to our decisions and actions.”
The ranch has also done a lot of work with water systems, partaking in river and creek restoration projects. One of the ranch’s bigger goals is to continue to expand their water systems in order to better utilize their land.
While the environmental aspect of sustainability is important, it’s only half of the equation, the sisters said. Producer profitability is another key part.
“If we can’t keep the producer profitable, how can we preserve the agricultural land that is slowly diminishing before our eyes?” they asked. “Sadly, here in the Gallatin Valley of southwestern Montana, beautiful farm and ranch land hits the market every day for residential and commercial expansion,” Katie said. “As we see the loss of these agricultural spaces there are going to be truths we face about humanities relationship with the land and our food.”
Moving forward
The family has made strides in progressing onward while still honoring the tradition of those that have come before them. The advancement of tools and technology has helped move the family’s herd forward, as it has for most ranchers, Kelsy said. In addition, they have been able to maintain a closed line of breeding for more than 75 years, which makes them unique and sets them apart from many in the seedstock industry.
“The biggest advantage that cattlemen see using our genetics is the predictability and uniformity that comes from those 75 years of maintaining a close line of breeding,” Katie said.
Each year, the ranch receives more interest from cattlemen looking to integrate crossbreeding by utilizing Hereford genetics on their operations.
“Hereford breeders have made tremendous strides in the quality of our cattle,” the sisters said. The breed has always been known for disposition, foraging ability, fertility and longevity, but Hereford producers have worked hard to improve carcass merit and other traits that are important to the commercial cattleman.
Kelsy added that the family believes in their program. “We’ve tried to produce functional cattle,” she said. “The commercial man is the bread and butter of our industry, so we try to focus on traits that make them profitable.” — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
