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 Meet the Farmer Charlotte Crawley Charlotte Crawley loves cattle, enjoys a challenge and hates being bored. So, being a beef producer ticks all the boxes, most of the time. “It’s rarely monotonous,” she said. “Being a cattle farmer gives me an excuse to get outside while doing something that’s both meaningful and challenging.” Crawley divides her time between her day job as a conservationist with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) and the cow/calf and backgrounding operation that she helps operate with her partner Gerald Bos and his son Jordan at Rapid City, Manitoba. While DUC and other organizations recognize that Canadian beef production practices support the environment, there remains a misconception in the public space that cattle are detrimental.   “Whether people recognize it or not, farmer equals conservationist,” she said. “Balancing production with the environment is the key to every farm’s success, and we should all be thinking about how our actions impact the land we work and rely on.” Crawley was raised on a mixed farm at Clanwilliam, Manitoba. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Systems from the University of Manitoba in 2003, she moved to Alberta and completed a brief stint at the Cargill beef plant before taking a job at a 16,000-head feedlot near High River, where she developed her true love for cattle. She later returned to Manitoba and worked full-time at the family farm with her parents. Crawley is immensely proud of the fact that her family’s farm was awarded the Heritage Farm Award in 2022 in recognition of its 125-year history.   When her parents retired, she landed the off-farm job at DUC and moved to her partner’s operation, Bos Family Farms, in 2019. She went from 45 bred cows to 450 overnight, and they have since expanded the herd, breeding 900 head in 2026. Over the years, the farm has focused on the genetics and management of the herd to improve production efficiency and animal quality in a way that also supports the environment through practices such as rotational grazing. All animals are rotated every two to three days, which allows Crawley and her partner to extend the grazing season and keep the cow herd out of confinement for the entire year, “which is no small feat.” “I am always impressed at the intensity of rotational grazing we are able to achieve with so many animals, and with such a small crew,” she said. “We run it all with three full-time staff, a high school kid, and me part-time with my off-farm job.” Breaking down barriers in farming and conservation is another source of meaningful and challenging work for Crawley. In 2023, DUC recognized Crawley for her contributions to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. “If your heart is in it and you’re willing to work for it, women can do anything,” she said upon receiving the DUC recognition. After more than 30 years of being involved in the cattle industry, Crawley sums up the joy of farming. “With the cattle business, you develop a vast skillset; you need to be a jack of all trades, and master of most,” she said. “Nothing beats working for yourself, and I love having the flexibility to plan your own day, and the only person you answer to is yourself. All successes and failures fall on you, and although that can be stressful at times, farming isn’t just something you do, it’s who you are.” And of course, as a beef producer, she gets to enjoy the fruits of her labour, because at the end of a long hard day, there is nothing better than a rib steak on a hot grill. That said, Crawley adds it’s the lesser-known cuts that are harder to deal with that separate the grill masters from the wannabes. “Smoked brisket is always a favourite, but oxtail and bavette done in the Dutch oven have been some of the winners at our place.” Our Meet the Farmer: International Year of the Woman Farmer campaign launched in January 2026 and will run the full calendar year. A Canadian woman owner-operator is announced each month on our social channels, with detailed information provided in Canada Beef Performs and on our website. Submitted by Angela Lovell and Gina Teel, Director, Stakeholder Communications Back to main page |
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