Grit, Grace, and Baby Calves in the Bathtub

There are some conversations that feel less like interviews and more like sitting around a kitchen table with coffee in hand while stories unfold naturally. This episode of Grit and Grace in the Heartland was exactly that.

Mary and Leah welcomed Nebraska rancher and writer Megan Messersmith, the voice behind This Cowgirl’s Story, for a heartfelt conversation about ranching, motherhood, hard winters, faith, and the quiet healing power of writing.

And somehow, it all began with baby calves in bathtubs.

Why Ranchers Put Calves in Bathtubs

Leah had shared a funny Facebook live about warming chilled calves in bathtubs, which sparked a flood of memories from both Mary and Megan.

Mary recalled a friend who once kept baby ducks in a jetted bathtub for weeks because there was nowhere safer or warmer for them to go. Leah remembered brutal winters in the 1980s when calves were carried through the snow into the family home, laid on newspapers, and warmed in the bathtub before heading downstairs beneath heat lamps.

For ranch families, this is not unusual. When calves become dangerously cold, warming them quickly can save their lives. Ranchers improvise with whatever works, whether that is a bathtub in the house or a specially designed setup in a heated shop.

Megan shared that her family even installed a raised bathtub in their shop specifically for warming calves. They added a way to secure the calf safely so no one had to kneel beside the tub for an hour holding its head up.

It was practical. It worked. And for generations, it helped save animals during bitter winters.

The stories were funny at times, but underneath the laughter was something deeper. These moments reflect the reality of ranch life. Families working together. Long nights. Harsh weather. Resourcefulness. Exhaustion. And determination.

Growing Up Ranching

Leah spoke emotionally about being a small child during one especially brutal winter. Her father spent months battling blizzards while carrying chilled calves into the house to save them.

The entire family became part of the effort.

Her grandmother warmed calves. Her great grandparents opened their home. Her mother cared for young children while helping however she could. Leah remembered stepping carefully around calves stretched out on newspapers across the carpeted floor.

She described ranching during those years as surviving together as a team.

That idea of teamwork carried throughout the entire conversation.

Building a Ranch From Scratch

Megan and her husband, Ty, live in southwest Nebraska where they are building a cattle operation while raising four daughters.

They did not inherit a fully established ranch. When they moved to southwest Nebraska in 2019, they arrived with a small herd, an old horse trailer, and a set of rough corrals.

Everything else had to be built through hard work, relationships, and persistence.

Today they run a cow calf operation, raise alfalfa, care for additional custom cattle, and help with extended family operations during calving season.

One of the most powerful parts of Megan’s story is that they do not own land themselves. They rent their ground and have worked hard to build strong relationships with landowners.

She spoke honestly about the uncertainty that comes with renting land, but also about the opportunities it creates for young families trying to enter agriculture.

Her message was encouraging and practical.

You do not have to own thousands of acres to ranch.

You can start small. You can rent land. You can build slowly.

Raising Girls in Agriculture

Leah and Megan also discussed something both women care deeply about: creating space for women and girls in agriculture.

Megan explained that her daughters have always been included in ranch life. They rode along in pickups and side by sides as babies. They help with chores, cattle work, and daily responsibilities. Their oldest daughter recently began working for the ranch officially.

But Megan was equally thoughtful about allowing her daughters to choose their own paths.

Some love riding horseback and working cattle.

Others may prefer supporting roles like cooking meals, babysitting younger children, or pursuing entirely different careers.

And that is okay.

Her perspective was refreshing because it removed the pressure often attached to family agriculture. Instead of forcing expectations onto the next generation, Megan and her husband focus on helping their daughters discover what genuinely calls to them.

The Healing Power of Writing

The conversation eventually shifted from ranching to writing.

Megan admitted she never expected to become a writer. In fact, she had completely stepped away from social media before unexpectedly feeling called to start her blog, This Cowgirl Story.

At first, she thought the goal was simply to tell the ranching story to the world.

Later, she realized the writing was healing her too.

She described how poetry and reflection became an outlet during a difficult season of transition after moving away from the Sandhills region she once identified so strongly with.

Her writing now resonates deeply with readers because it captures emotions many people struggle to explain themselves.

Leah read one of Megan’s winter pieces aloud during the episode, and the room seemed to quiet around the words.

Megan explained that most of her writing arrives in moments. A line appears while working cattle, checking pastures, or living through an experience. She quickly writes it down in her phone before it disappears.

She does not force the process.

The words simply come.

Faith, Hardship, and Stewardship

One of the strongest themes throughout the episode was resilience.

Ranching is hard. Megan did not sugarcoat that reality.

Drought, financial pressure, uncertainty, natural disasters, and long stretches of exhaustion are part of the work. Leah even shared that the ranch Megan once lived on was hit directly by a tornado after they moved away.

Yet both women spoke openly about faith sustaining them through difficult seasons.

Megan described herself and her husband not as owners, but as stewards. Whether they own land or rent it, their responsibility is to care for what has been entrusted to them.

That perspective shapes how they approach hardship.

It also shapes how they raise their children and build their operation.

Why These Stories Matter

This episode was ultimately about much more than ranching.

It was about family.

It was about finding purpose in hard work.

It was about preserving rural communities and creating opportunities for the next generation.

And it was about remembering that behind every operation, every pasture, and every herd are real people navigating uncertainty while still showing up every day.

The stories shared by women like Megan matter because they give voice to experiences that are often overlooked.

They remind us that strength and tenderness can exist side by side.

Sometimes grit looks like battling a blizzard to save calves.

Sometimes grace looks like writing poetry about winter light.

And sometimes both things happen in the same day.

You can follow Megan Messersmith through This Cowgirl’s Story on social media, and you can continue following the conversations from Grit and Grace in the Heartland as they share more stories from women in agriculture across the Midwest.