Settler ranching in southern Alberta conjures the image of a lone cowboy riding through the foothills or a stoic ranch hand roping errant cattle. But women have always played an integral part in the cattle industry, often working without recognition or support to meet the challenge of the frontier.

Ranching Women in Southern Alberta examines the rhythms, routines, and realities of women’s lives on family ranches. As these ranches replaced the large-scale cattle operations that once covered thousands of acres, women were called upon to ensure not only the ongoing economic viability of their ranches, but also the social harmony of their families and communities. At the same time, ranching women enjoyed personal freedoms and opportunities unknown to their urban and European contemporaries.

The great-granddaughter of pioneer ranchers, Rachel Herbert brings a unique insight to the stories of these brave and talented women who carved a role for themselves and their daughters during the dawn of the family ranch.

Rachel Herbert was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. The great-granddaughter of pioneer ranchers, she returned to her roots and the family ranch near Nanton, Alberta. At historic Trail’s End Ranch she raises and markets old-fashioned grass-fed beef and chases her two free-range kids. When she’s not feeding cows, or kids, she can be found reading, riding, or getting her hands dirty in the garden or on the ranch.

Rachel Herbert's profile page

Herbert’s look at the real life of ranch women from about 1874 into the 1940s is an eye opener. It not only fills out the historical record, it makes a reader think in new ways . . . a rewarding read. - Marc Lisac, Prime Times

Rob Alexander, Canada’s History Magazine

A well-qualified insider who runs a family beef cattle operation, Herbert bases her rich and sophisticated analysis of women’s contributions not only on comprehensive scholarship but also on intimate knowledge as a daughter of four generations of accomplished ranch women in Alberta’s foothills…Herbert’s engaging account critiques conventional gendered binaries-bachelor cowboy, nomadic farmhand or sacrificing, thrifty wife-that frequent popular sources, while uncovering how women ensured the continuity of Alberta’s family ranches…With Ranching Women in Southern Alberta, Herbert delivers a radical redress of ranching history and grants girls hope for a more equitable future.

- Carol Williams, AlbertaViews

Marc Lisac, Prime Times

Ranching Women in Southern Alberta is a much-needed addition to the study of rural women in the West . . . a thoughtful study of Albertan ranching women of the 1880s to 1930s.

- Amy L McKinney, Canadian Journal of History

Amy L McKinney, Canadian Journal of History

Herbert presents a carefully researched and thoughtful history of ranching women.

—Rob Alexander, Canada's History Magazine

Carol Williams, AlbertaViews

This is the first book to recognize the women who played a crucial role in establishing the family ranch in the foothills of southern Alberta.

Warren M. Elofson, University of Calgary