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CattleWomen ring in new Cowbelle

By Raiza Canelon/Staff Writer

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Lauren Scheller, shown at her family ranch outside of Los Alamos, has been named the Cowbelle of the Year by the Santa Barbara County CattleWomen for her work. //Bryan Walton/Staff

Lauren Scheller was shocked and excited to learn she had been named the 2009 Cowbelle of the Year by the Santa Barbara County CattleWomen’s Association.

“I try to stay informed on all the new and upcoming trends in the agriculture and beef industry and find ways I can help the youth community know how important agriculture is,” Scheller said.

Scheller, 25, is the youngest member of the group and was recently named to serve as a board member. Since she was a little girl, Scheller has been involved in the industry in various ways from moving cattle to fixing fences to talking to youths about the importance of agriculture.

Scheller’s roots descend from Juan Jose Dominguez, a soldier in the Portola expedition in 1769, and as a ninth-generation Californian she said her interest and love for agriculture and beef were more than genetic.

“I tried other subjects in school, and even started at Cal Poly as a biology major, but I gravitated towards animal science and knew it was where I belonged,” Scheller said.

Scheller returned home to her family’s ranch named Rancho Los Alamos de Santa Elena, just north of Los Alamos to help her parents manage the property. According to Scheller’s family records, the ranch was established through a Mexican land grant in the early 18th century, and some of the original adobe houses still stand.

Scheller was previously involved in the San Luis Obispo CattleWomen’s Association, and after moving home, she wanted to stay active and joined the SB CattleWomen’s Association.

“The Santa Barbara County CattleWomen are proud to honor local cattlewoman, Lauren Scheller, as the Cowbelle of the Year. She brings extensive knowledge, a ‘can do’ spirit and endless energy to our organization. Lauren is an amazing young woman and an inspiration to our unit,” said President Mindi Christian.

Scheller serves as the co-chair of the publicity committee and gives presentations on the beef industry to schools all over Santa Barbara County.

“I hope I can bring fresh ideas and new ways to outreach to the kids. I want them to understand there are many avenues of agriculture they can explore,” Scheller said.

She also volunteers on other CattleWomen committee’s such as fundraising, the Santa Barbara County Fair activities, Cattlemen’s Dinner Dance and Auction, and attends California state and national CattleWomen’s meetings.

Scheller hopes to expand her communication education for the agriculture and beef industry onto the national level. For now she’ll stay on the ranch and help with daily chores such as checking cattle and fixing fences.