Growing up in a military household in Temple, Texas, Emma Coffman’s path into agriculture didn’t come by tradition, but rather inspiration. Her mom had learned sewing and baking in 4-H and felt it important for Emma and her younger brother to also participate in homemaking projects.
“When I got involved in 4-H, I saw other kids showing livestock and I wanted to do that,” Coffman says.
While her parents weren’t on board at first, she was able to convince them let her try. She showed sheep, goats and a heifer during her high school years.
“It was instant love,” she says. “I had no idea where I was going to go in life with it, but I knew I wanted to be in the livestock field.”
That inspiration to be in agriculture led Coffman to apply for a livestock ambassador program giving her a crash course in animal science lessons while still in high school. She then attended Texas A&M University where she studied animal science.
“Every class was very overwhelming at times,” she says. “I looked at my classmates who were raised in the industry, and for them, this was something they learned when they were 5. I was soaking it all in and writing down every word.”
Coffman worked throughout college, interning with horse trainers, cattle ranches and the sheep unit at A&M. She also spent time in Australia on a study abroad trip and had accepted a job on a cattle ranch, but before she could start COVID happened.
“I think God rerouted my plans,” Coffman says.
Her career path took her to Virginia consulting for a nutrition company then back to Lubbock, Texas doing data management for feedlots. That led to managing a cow-calf operation, then working for a company focusing on bovine IVF. Throughout that time, Coffman began her company, Double E Ranch, and sharing her experiences on social media. She has more than 80,000 followers across her social media platforms and creates content to empower people to make informed decisions based on knowledge.
“As a first-generation agriculturalist, what I initially saw as my biggest disadvantage has turned out to be the greatest blessing the Lord could have given me,” Coffman says. “It has provided me with the unique opportunity to break down complex topics and present them in ways that are more relatable and understandable to everyday consumers.”
In addition to connecting consumers with the people raising beef, Coffman also engages the next generation of ranchers by sharing stories to motivate and guide them as join the industry and build their own businesses. She hopes these conversations will help grow the network of beef advocates for years to come.
Coffman encourages the industry to be patient with newcomers. She notes with the average age of producers in their 50s we’re going to see more change in the next 5-10 years.
“We’re losing people we love and who have a lot of heritage, but it also means bringing in a generation wanting to learn and willing to embrace new technologies,” she days. “These young people are ambitious, they are incredibly talented, they’re smart, and they are willing to work; sometimes harder than someone else who was born into it.”
She says there will be a lot of questions to answer, but that’s how we learn. “There are no dumb questions, except for the ones we don’t ask,” Coffman says.
On the flipside, Coffman encourages young people to travel and gain experience beyond where they live. She learned that herself when she arrived in Virginia for her first full-time job and was introduced to fescue, which she had never heard of.
“Everything nutritionally I was taught had to change, but that allowed me to have so much more insight to how production agriculture changes within states, regions and abroad,” she says. “I saw so much technology in Australia too. It might not work the same way in the U.S., but we can take pieces of it and incorporate to fit our needs.”
Through her advocacy work, Coffman bridges the gap from those on-the-ground producing food and fiber to the consumers making purchasing decisions. She wants to see the hard work, dedication, and positive impact of beef production are recognized and valued.
“It is not just about protecting the industry—it is about ensuring a strong future for agriculture and the generations to come,” she says.
You can follow Emma Coffman on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or visit her website, Double E Ranch.
Coffman was recognized by the Masters of Beef Advocacy program as the 2024 Advocate of the Year, which is selected by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff.
