The two Cattle U award winners both come from generations of experience in working with cattle. Third-generation cattlewoman Trista Brown Priest of Cattle Empire LLC near Satanta, Kansas, took home the Cattlewoman of the Year award at the annual event, held June 25. Sixth-generation rancher Spencer Crowther of Double C Ranch in Falun, Kansas, is the Cattleman of the Year.
Candidates were nominated by their peers in the livestock industry and a panel of High Plains Journal employees selected the winners. WH Scale Company sponsored the 2024 Cattlewoman of the Year award. The Cattleman of the Year award was sponsored by MJE Livestock Equipment.
Cattlewoman of the Year
Priest is the CEO of Cattle Empire LLC, a family-owned feedyard. It was started by Priest’s grandfather, Paul Brown, and at one time held 250,000 head of cattle. After Brown died in 2017, and 75% of the business was sold, Priest, her parents and her sister became the sole owners of the feedyard, which currently has a capacity of 51,000 head.
Priest started working at Cattle Empire when she was 14 years old, but she never expected to make the family business her career. However, unforeseen circumstances and a difficult job market after her college graduation in 2008 brought Priest back to Satanta. She manages the feedyard, while her husband, John, handles the farming side of the operation. Together, they have three children—Charlotte, Marshall and Lainey.
Priest said she loves her job because every day is different, and she never knows what challenges will come her way. Additionally, she enjoys working with employees and customers that have been constants for years.
“I like to think of us as a family that employs other families,” Priest said. “And working with our customers is enjoyable because some of them were my grandfather’s customers. Even though my grandpa isn’t here anymore, it feels some of our customers are taking on that role for me.”
Megan Elsey of MJE Livestock Equipment nominated Priest for cattlewoman of the year.
“As the driving force behind Cattle Empire, one of the largest and most respected cattle-feeding operations in the United States, Trista leads with integrity and unwavering dedication to the cattle in her care,” Elsey said. “Under her guidance, Cattle Empire has flourished, setting new standards of excellence in cattle management, animal welfare and sustainable practices.”
Priest, who has attended Cattle U in the past and even spoke at the event in 2021, said she was surprised to be selected for the award.
“I am honored, and it feels especially good to be recognized as a woman because sometimes I don’t feel like a peer,” Priest said. “I know there have been many women in the cattle-feeding industry before me, but when I was only 23 and started showing up to cattle meetings, I was the only girl in the room. It takes guts to keep showing up, and I appreciate that Cattle U has a special award just for women.”
The positive example Priest has set was one of the reasons Elsey nominated her for this award.
“Beyond her role as a successful businesswoman, Trista is renowned for her tireless advocacy for the advancement of women in agriculture,” Elsey said. “As one of the most prominent female faces in the industry, she serves as a powerful role model and mentor, inspiring countless women to pursue their passions and realize their potential in the male-dominated field of agriculture.”
Priest’s advice to young people entering the agriculture industry is to be consistent and stay the course, even if they do not feel like they fit in.
“Imposter syndrome is something that everybody feels, but you’re not the odd man out,” Priest said. “Just keep showing up, listening and learning, and you’ll get there.”
Cattleman of the Year
Crowther has a long family history of ranching, but he is the first in his family to operate a seedstock business. He and his wife, Alyssa, started Double C Ranch in 2013. They raise Charolais and Red Angus cattle and have become a leader in Red Charolais genetics.
Crowther considers his wife to be the backbone of their business and said the ranch would not exist or be successful without her involvement. Double C Ranch has grown rapidly over the last 10-plus years, and Crowther said he is excited for their first bull sale, which is planned for March 10, 2025, in Clay Center, Kansas.
“Our goal is to raise good genetics, whether that be bulls, females or semen, that can go to other seedstock producers or commercial operations and better their cow herds,” Crowther said.
Dan Samson was one of the individuals who nominated Crowther for the Cattleman of the Year award.
“Spencer has been at the forefront of the Red Charolais breed,” Samson said. “He has had a substantial influence in the big push in getting the red color used for the breed. Double C is also one of the top Red Charolais breeders in the U.S with the use of his bull, Ranger. He is a great advocate for the Charolais breed and is a standup human who is willing to go the extra mile for everyone.”
Crowther was also recognized for being a mentor to the younger generation.
“I feel Spencer deserves this award as he started from nothing and has grown to be a leader in the Charolais industries,” said nominator Colton Harlan. “He has been a mentor to me and many of the younger generation. He is truly a great person, a hard worker and a leader.”
Crowther said when he first heard he had been selected for the award, he did not feel worthy of the honor.
“I just know so many good people in this industry that have so much more talent and experience than me, so it was kind of hard to believe that I was getting this award,” he said. “But when you find out that friends and customers were the ones that nominated you, it makes you feel really good about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.”
Crowther said he is grateful for the award and finds his career in the livestock industry extremely rewarding because he gets to build his business alongside his wife and three sons—Rustin, Rhett and Jackson. He also loves connecting with customers, who become close friends.
“We have a very high customer retention rate. We don’t just sell guys bulls once and really never see them again. We have guys that buy bulls from us, and then generations of families that buy cattle from us, and I think that’s really, really rewarding to be able to work with a family and help them grow, not just one time, but throughout the life of that family, too.
I think anybody in this industry that took an interest in me, that took an interest in my well-being, my success, that took the time to talk to me and help me, those are the guys and gals that are my role models, and that’s kind of what I strive to do in this industry, too. Crowther said working in the cattle industry can be difficult, but it is worthwhile for people who love livestock.
“If you love it, the hard stuff gets a heck of a lot easier,” Crowther said.
He also addressed members of the next generation entering the workforce, encouraging them to pursue jobs in agriculture.
“We need smart, capable people in this industry, and I advise anyone who grew up on a farm or if you’re not too far removed from agriculture to think about making this part of your life,” Crowther said.
He said he wants young people to know that agriculture is a wide-reaching industry with numerous opportunities for just about anyone who is looking for employment.
“Agriculture can facilitate almost everybody’s passion,” Crowther said.
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].
