What is the value in Mentorship?
The first group of participants in the Montana Stockgrowers Mentorship program will be announced at Annual Convention this year. This program will be a great opportunity for seasoned members of the Montana ranching community to mentor some younger members and help guide their journey as becoming members of the industry. One of the participants is Walker Milhoan.
Walker is a Collegiate Stockgrowers member at the University of Montana in Missoula. Here is a brief Q&A with Walker about participating in the Mentorship program. Applications for both Mentors and Mentees are due November 1
Why do you want to participate in the Mentorship program?
Walker: It has been my life’s goal to call myself a “rancher.” This is all I have ever wanted to do, and fortunately for me, I wasn’t born into the lifestyle. I say “fortunately” because not being born into the ranching business has forced me to think of it in a way that someone who has a lot of tradition behind them might not. It’s not second nature to me, therefore I have to think out and analyze every piece of the puzzle, and this is where a solid mentor can be a great deal of help. Since I can’t always rely on my own intuition and experience, I must fall back on someone who can.
What do you hope to gain while participating as a “Mentee”?
I hope to gain a better understanding of the minutia that comes with cattle business. For example: I was helping this rancher from Helmville ship calves last summer and we were trying to piece together the most similar ones to send to the truck. I thought I had done a good job of pairing up these two steer calves when Dan sorted one of them off and said, “that one has piece of Burdock behind his ear, he came from a different pasture, don’t send him.” I wouldn’t have thought of this in a million years, but Dan did, and it’s those little things that can add up in a hurry. Ranching requires a million little nuances like this everyday and having a solid mentor can help a greenhorn like myself stay out of some of the weeds.
What value do you gain from Mentorship programs? Any suggestions for those who want to become involved?
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About Author
The Montana Stockgrowers Association, a non-profit membership organization, has worked on behalf of Montana’s cattle ranching families since 1884. Our mission is to protect and enhance Montana ranch families’ ability to grow and deliver safe, healthy, environmentally wholesome beef to the world.