Grit, Grace, and the Courage to Keep Going
There are moments when a podcast episode feels less like a recording and more like a gathering. This was one of those moments.
In this episode of Grit and Grace in the Heartland, Mary and Leah welcomed their very first guest, Richelle of Prairie Crocus Creative, joining us from north central Montana just miles from the Canadian border. From the opening minutes, it was clear this conversation would be about far more than cattle, ranch life, or creativity. It was about identity, loss, resilience, and the quiet strength it takes to keep moving forward when life looks nothing like you imagined.
A Life Rooted in Agriculture
Richelle grew up on her family’s ranch south of Havre, Montana, immersed in cattle, horses, and the rhythm of rural life. Like many women in agriculture, she wore a lot of hats early on. She showed livestock through 4-H, trained horses, earned degrees in horse training and agricultural business, married her high school sweetheart, and worked alongside family while also holding jobs off the ranch.
Her story is one many farm and ranch families recognize. Building an operation without owned land. Balancing town jobs with calving seasons and harvest. Raising children while trying to keep a business alive. Then came drought, lost leases, and a decision no producer ever wants to face.
Selling the cows.
Rochelle spoke openly about what that loss meant. Not in numbers, but in heartbreak. Letting go of their herd was not just a business decision. It felt like losing part of herself. For those outside agriculture, it can be hard to understand how deeply entwined identity and livestock become. For those within it, her words needed no translation.
Life After the Cows
What made this conversation especially powerful was Richelle’s willingness to speak from the other side of that moment. The place no one talks about much. The grief after the trailer pulls away. The silence that follows years of purpose shaped around animals, seasons, and land.
She shared honestly about how naive she once felt imagining a life without cows, and how shocking it was to discover that life does continue. It looks different. It hurts. But it goes on.
That realization has shaped her writing, her photography, and her advocacy. Richelle now speaks not only for women actively ranching, but also for those in the in between spaces. Those who stepped away. Those who were forced out. Those who carry grief quietly because they do not know where it belongs.
Words, Images, and Connection
Prairie Crocus Creative began years ago with funny stories about motherhood, candid photos, and small moments worth remembering. Over time, Richelle’s audience grew far beyond what she ever expected. Today, readers follow her work from across the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Her writing resonates because it is real. It does not try to sell agriculture as perfect or easy. It acknowledges beauty and hardship as inseparable. As Leah shared during the episode, Richelle has a rare ability to convey emotion through both words and images, threading personal experience into work that connects deeply with others, even those far removed from ranch life.
Vulnerability has not always been easy. Sharing grief, family challenges, and hard truths takes courage. But Richelle has found that the stories she hesitates to post are often the ones that matter most to someone else.
Mental Health, Succession, and Speaking Up
The conversation also turned toward topics many families avoid. Mental health in rural communities. The strain of succession planning. The generational gaps that can fracture families and operations alike.
Richelle is certified in QPR, Question, Persuade, Refer, a suicide prevention training focused on recognizing warning signs and having meaningful conversations beyond the surface level. Her passion for this work comes from personal loss and from witnessing how isolation and unspoken pain affect agricultural communities.
She reminded listeners of something crucial. People are more important than operations. Identity does not end when cows are sold or land is lost. There is still life worth living, even when it feels unimaginable.
Books, Advocacy, and Looking Forward
Richelle is the author of two photo and essay collections.
Anthology celebrates ranch life and women in agriculture before the loss of their herd.
You’re Gonna Make It reflects the season after, offering reassurance, faith, and hope for anyone walking through grief.
Both are available through her website at prairiecrocuscreative.com.
When asked about writing a memoir someday, Rochelle acknowledged how complex those stories can be. Every family has multiple truths. Respect, timing, and healing all matter. For now, she continues to share what she can, when she can, always with the intention of helping someone feel less alone.
Why This Episode Matters
This episode set the tone for what Grit and Grace in the Heartland hopes to be. Honest. Human. Rooted in lived experience rather than polished narratives.
Richelle’s story is not just about agriculture. It is about loss, faith, resilience, and the courage to pivot when life demands it. It is about choosing to turn pain into connection. About showing up for others even when your own heart still aches.
As Richelle reminded us, if you are going through hard things, keep going. It is going to be hard. And it is going to be okay.
You can find Richelle at Prairie Crocus Creative on Facebook and at prairiecrocuscreative.com.
You can find Leah at Clear Creek Ranch Mom on Facebook and Instagram.
And you can find Mary and the podcast at gritandgraceintheheartland.com.
Until next time, have some grit and grace in the heartland.