Beef for Firefighters
When the horrible Los Angeles wildfires plagued the area, SLOCCW members donated over 100 pounds of beef jerky to fire fighters working hard to stop the destruction. Donations from individual members, the Lazy Arrow Cattle Company, Slim Sadies Jerky, and Cattaneo Brothers made this all possible!
Beef for Veterans
SLO County Cattlewomen have the utmost amount of respect for the men and women who fight to keep our country free. As a token of appreciation, the unit sponsored the Thursday hamburger BBQ for Veterans at the American Legion Auxiliary 50 in Paso Robles. We were able to thank our veterans in person, passed out beef merchandise, and beef by-product care packages as small tokens of our appreciation.
Backing the 'Blue' with Beef
Our unit greatly appreciates the men and women of law enforcement who put their lives on the line each day to protect our homes, ranches, and community. Rural crime officers from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department work closely with our members to ensure not just our personal safety but the safety of our livestock and property. Since its inception, SLOCCW has sponsored the annual SLO County Sheriff's Rodeo each May. This event brings the community together and raises funds for to purchase essential equipment needed by all law enforcement agencies within the county.
Beef By-Products for L.A. Fire Victims
Hundreds lost their homes in early 2025 when the Los Angeles fires swept through the city. When this occurred, many went without everyday good and toiletries. SLOCCW partnered with the Santa Rosa Catholic Church in Cambria to send over 25 care packages to those who lost everything. Each care package contained beef by-products such as shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, and deodorant.
Beef for Food Security
Each February, our unit celebrates SLO County Ranching Month in conjunction with National Meat Month. To kick off Ranching Month, our unit makes a monetary donation to the SLO Food Bank in the names of the SLO County Supervisors. We are honored to help organizations like the Food Bank that are doing so much to feed the community!
Education Initiatives
Primary Education
CattleWomen are not only passionate about beef but passionate about literacy as well. When the unit found out about Danika Kester's book, "Charlie Learns to be a Cowboy," we eagerly purchased 50 copies through the California CattleWomen Heritage Foundation, Inc. to donate to schools across the county. Our own Young CattleWomen helped deliver books to private and public elementary schools and pre-schools. Teachers shared that they loved how the story not only taught about the ranching way of life but the importance of building a strong moral character and a commitment to hard work.
Our Ag in the Classroom activities are designed to educate local youth. The unit participates in and creates activities at schools across the county in an effort to show children and teachers what cattlemen and cattlewomen do. The activities also stress how cattle benefit the environment and enrich our lives daily. For example, twice a year our unit participates in the SLO Great Ag Venture, where over 1,200 SLO County 4th graders participate in 6, 20-minute agriculture-oriented rotations facilitated by active members of their respective industries.
Secondary Education
Making a living in San Luis Obispo county can be a challenge with the high cost of living, resulting in many students questioning whether they can afford to remain in the area in the future. SLOCCW partners with local high school ag teachers to bring speakers whose careers either directly or indirectly support the beef industry. This has exposed students in our county to potential careers they could pursue locally. Over the years, speakers have included rural crime officers from the SLO County Sheriff's Dept., loan officers from agricultural-oriented lending institutions, and head cowboys from some of the most prestigious ranches in the country to name a few!
Post Secondary Education
San Luis Obispo County CattleWomen is a proud sponsor of the Cal Poly Bull Test and Sale. Cattlemen from all over California consign bulls to the 'test' to compete with the best of the best. The highest indexing bulls sell the first Sunday every October. Cal Poly students dedicate hundreds of hours caring for bulls, monitoring performance, collecting data, marketing the sale, and promoting the event. Students apply the "learn by doing" model that Cal Poly, SLO is known for to create one of the best bull sales in the country!
Photo & Image Credits (click to access organization home site/image source)
SLO Sheriffs Rodeo & Chuck & Vikki Photography
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