family Life
on the Ranch
Sage DuBois Photography
Agriculture Provides nourishing setting for blended families WRITTEN BY REBECCA COLNAR PHOTOS BY SAGE DUBOIS PHOTOGRAPHY AND CANDACE WEEDA STROBBE
Blended families are continually becoming commonplace, and agriculture provides an encouraging environment for families learning to spend time together. That’s what Candace Weeda Strobbe learned when she married a rancher from Cascade, MT, who already had a daughter. Candace was raised on a diversified farm (cattle, corn, soybeans, hay) in southern Iowa and received two undergraduate degrees in agricultural communications/journalism and agricultural economics from Kansas State University. After exploring the corporate agriculture industry, Candace discovered her heart was back in rural America. So, she moved to South Texas to earn an advanced degree at the King Ranch Institute (Texas) for Ranch Management. Then Candace headed north to Montana for a job interview and instead of a 44
August 2021
ranch management gig, she found her future husband, local rancher Chet Strobbe. “That was 2018 and I essentially went from one border to the other,” said Candace. “Now I’m near Cascade where we lease/manage a ranch, own our own cows, take in yearlings and have a custom haying business.” When she married Chet, she gained a daughter, Royce, who is now 11. “People focus on moms, dads and grandparents, but being a stepparent is a whole different ball of wax, and provides a unique challenge. You’re tasked with essentially fostering a relationship with a child who is not your blood, but whom you love dearly. Bonus parents as I like to call us, as a whole, don’t get a lot of praise or appreciation. There is a lot
of negativity and misplaced judgement, but I constantly try to push that aside. Ultimately what matters is connecting in a loving, meaningful way with the child.” Fortunately, Royce loves the ranch. Although Chet and Candace work seven days a week, when Royce is there the couple strives for a balance of work and play. “We have a lot of cattle on feed in the winter months, so we just can’t take off for the weekend to go ski and leave the cattle. Having animals to care for teaches responsibility at a young age, and it’s not all fun and games,” said Candace. Candace learned from her rural upbringing how to get creative for fun. “For example, after we feed our cattle in the winter, sometimes we
