Madison County CattleWomen Officers

Rebekah Clark, President & State Director

Hey everyone! I am Rebekah Clark and I am serving as President of the Madison County CattleWomen, as well as one of the District 2 Directors for the Montana CattleWomen. Agriculture has been in my blood for generations, dating back to the 1700s in Germany. I was born and raised in Ennis on a cattle ranch that my father manages, the Alton Ranch, raised pigs through many years of 4-H, and have experience in raising other livestock species as well. I currently live in Harrison with my husband where we raise cattle and operate a custom farming, haying, and stacking business alongside my in-laws. My husband and I are also working to become registered breeders of Idaho Pasture Pigs. I am currently attending Montana State University Honors College, where I am working to earn degrees in Animal Science and English, as well as minors in Agricultural Business and in English Literature. My plan is to attend graduate school and earn my Master’s in both Animal Science and English.

Agriculture is something I have always been passionate about and something I am always working to promote. It is important to educate, lead, and support our beef cattle industry, as well as our youth to inspire more to become a part of the agricultural industry. I also created and write for the official Madison County CattleWomen blog, “Ruminations”, which you can find here on our website!

Women have a strong place within agriculture and I am passionate about bringing women’s voices to the table. My goals are for this association to truly be at the forefront of bringing our communities and producers together to create better relationships, promote local beef production, and forge better understandings between farmers, ranchers, and consumers overall.

Courtney Cass, Vice President

My name is Courtney Cass, and I am Madison County CattleWomen’s Vice President. I found my way into agriculture through a more… unconventional route. I grew up in a suburb west of Seattle. I lived in the middle of town and was three generations removed from agriculture. I had horses but had to keep them at a boarding facility. I joined 4-H when I was 9, which was the first step towards finding my passion for agriculture. As a teen, I got into rodeo and raising market lambs. From there my passion blossomed, and I knew I wanted to focus my life and career on the livestock industry.

I moved to Montana in 2016 to attend Montana State University, where I received my Bachelor’s in Animal Science. While at MSU, I cofounded the school’s chapter of Sigma Alpha, an agricultural sorority. I also started gaining the in-depth livestock experience I had been seeking. Currently, I work both in veterinary medicine and for a seedstock Angus ranch. I don’t have my own cattle just yet, but am working towards starting a herd in the near future!

Since I moved to Montana, I’ve been fortunate to find many wonderful people who have helped me learn and grow in the livestock industry. As MCCW’s Vice President, I hope to pass on the kindness I’ve received and help others to flourish as well. Agriculture is imperative in our daily lives. With that, I believe it is imperative to support and uplift those in the industry, foster strong connections with consumers, and welcome newcomers with open arms.

Michele Cook, Secretary

Hey everyone! My name is Michele Cook and I am serving as the Madison County CattleWomen Secretary. I have been involved in agriculture all my life. I grew up on a farm in South Dakota and my family has been involved in farming and ranching as far back as anyone can remember. Our farming roots go back to the 1700’s in Germany, but my family was forced to relocate to the Black Sea area in Russia in order to continue our agricultural way of life. Then, in the mid to late 1800’s, these same Germans were forced from their homes and during that time, my family immigrated to South Dakota and Montana. Because of this, it’s always been driven home to me how important it is to protect our way of life.

My husband, Kevin Cook, and I moved to Ennis 22 years ago and raised our daughter, Rebekah, here. One of the things I am most proud of is that Rebekah and her husband are just as passionate about agriculture as I am. My husband manages the Alton Ranch, which is a large cattle operation here in Ennis. We also run Cook Family Farms, where we raise Idaho Pasture Pigs, Suri and Huacayua alpacas, and even a couple llamas. We pride ourselves on providing quality grass-fed beef and pork to the community.

I am passionate about promoting local agriculture. My favorite phrase is “know your farmer,” which is a testament to how important it is to know where your food comes from. Further, I am passionate about connecting communities to their local farmers and ranchers and developing those relationships. I am so excited to be working with this group of women and promoting agriculture!

Julie Schabarker, Treasurer

Hello, my name is Julie Schabarker and I am serving as the Madison County CattleWomen Treasurer. I was born and raised in Ennis, Montana. Although I didn’t grow up on a ranch, I am a 4th generation Ennis native, whose dad, grandpa, great grandpa, great great uncle, and great great grandpa shared the same love and passion for horses and cattle! Even my mom grew up helping her grandfather out on a little farm in northern Montana during the summer!

I have always had a love for animals, but didn’t experience the true Ag life until 2018, where I worked as an all around ranch hand until an injury in 2021. I have helped ranchers with brandings and cattle drives throughout my adulthood, and occasionally during my childhood/teenage years, and I have always enjoyed being in that environment.

I have a degree from the University of Montana-Western in Equine studies and am currently enrolled in an online Veterinary Technician program. My goal is to work at a large animal facility after I earn my degree.

In March of 2024, I took a course to become certified in AIing cows. With the help of local ranchers, including the help of my former boss in a neighboring county, I will continue to learn and practice AIing until I am able to go off on my own.

I am excited to be a part of the CattleWomen and be able to teach the future generation the importance of ranching and farming, and to let them know they don’t have to own cows to be a part of this great association!

Marcie Clark, BEEF Education

My name is Marcie Clark. I am serving as your BEEF Education officer for the MCCW. I have always called Harrison my home. I am a third-generation rancher and grew up raising Hereford cattle with my family.

My husband, Adam Clark, and I own and operate a family cattle ranch out towards Harrison Lake alongside our son and daughter-in-law. We are a cow-calf operation and we run an Angus-based herd that we breed to Hereford bulls. We also have a custom farming, haying, and stacking business that operates in the Madison Valley and beyond. I have also worked at Harrison School since 2010. Currently, I work as a paraprofessional and most often work with the elementary kids. I enjoy education and opening up children’s minds to the importance of agriculture.

I decided to be a part of this association to spread awareness and advocate for the preservation of family ranches and agriculture as a whole.