Iola “Olie” Else received the Montana Farm Bureau Distinguish Service Award on November 19 during the luncheon at the Montana Farm Bureau Annual Convention in downtown Billings. Else is a well-known, beloved adviser of all things agriculture at the University of Montana Western in Dillon. A member of the Southwest Counties Farm Bureau, Else started a Collegiate Young Farmers and Ranchers at the University of Montana-Western in 2013.

Else has been an agricultural advocate, beginning with her year as Miss Rodeo Idaho and evolving into her pivotal role in establishing the Natural Horsemanship Programs and advising the Collegiate Young Farmers and Ranchers at the university. She became Head Rodeo Coach at UM-Western in 1994, a position she held until 2018.

Her Collegiate YF&R students have read Ag Accurate books to kindergarten students and first graders in the Dillon schools weekly, provided snacks of cheese and jerky, and discussed the origin of the snacks. The YF&R club also shared their knowledge about their horses, cows, pigs, and an occasional dog with the same little people at the grade school to observe Heritage Day, a celebration of Montana’s statehood.

Several UM Western YF&R members have participated in the Farm Bureau Collegiate Discussion Meet Competition and gone on to compete at national Young Farmer & Rancher Conferences. Most of them had no idea they even wanted to compete at the local level until she ferreted out that little pocket of competitiveness and helped them prepare.

The long-time advisor owns 50 head of Angus cows that she feeds, breeds, and calves by herself. She is the only woman and the only person to have been selected National Intercollegiate Rodeo Coach of the Year twice, in 2004 and 20018, an honor voted by student rodeo athletes.

Upon accepting her award, Else noted, “We need to attract and keep young people involved in agriculture. Montana Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Program is so important to keep young people active in agriculture. There are challenges, but many of my students have been able to go back to be an integral part of their family farms and ranches.”