Linda Weatherly, of Weatherly Ranches, LLC, is a 4th generation cattle rancher whose family has a long ranching history in south eastern Washington. Her great-grandfather homesteaded near the old town of Peola, Washington in 1880 and her grandparents purchased the current home ranch location in 1939. As a long-time cattlewoman in the area, Linda was given the prestigious Washington Cattlemen’s Association Cattlewoman of the Year award in 2017.
Their herd started out with herefords, then they began introducing black and red angus. Linda is re-introducing more herefords into her current herd as they’re a bit calmer, and she’s happy with the white-faced black cattle she’s getting with this mix.
At 74 years old Linda runs the operation full time, with the help of brother Tom, who is 4 years older. Typical days are filled with fixing a lot of fence at the home ranch as well as on their permit, located in the Umatilla National Forest and the Blue Mountains.
When asked what she likes best about cattle ranching and this lifestyle, she replied, “It means so much to me because it was dad’s and grandad’s. Carrying on the family tradition is important and I still love the cattle and riding.”
