Amber Smith made her way from a blue collar town in Central Illinois to a 53,000 acre ranch in Montana. She explains that the image of the lonely cowboy is not today’s reality where, instead, women are not only managing ranches, but leading civic, public, and business entities throughout rural communities. In conversation with Designers of Paradise host Erik van Lennep she describes how she made this transition and the importance of Women in Ranching circles in supporting women to overcome a feeling of “not belonging.”
She talks about helping women ranchers break through an imposter narrative, and how her participation in Women in Ranching helped her recognize her own value. She found a community of people to support her – it was a game-changer.
Amber talks about holistic grazing, soil health, and the focus on regeneration – stimulating new life in these landscapes. The experience of participating in a “baby” sweat lodge on the Northern Cheyenne reservation with April Martin Chalfant. She found a community of support that helped her through failure and allowed an eventual transformation on her ranch.
She observes acting from a sense of ‘enough’ or ‘abundance’ helps one move forward, beyond scarcity & fear. It has changed her life.
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