Raised on her family's sheep and cattle ranch near Judith Gap, Montana, Erin Slivka learned early on that a life in agriculture involves hard work, sound decisions, firm faith, and a sense of humor. Those lessons have served her well as she and her husband, Shane, raise wheat, barley, and cattle on the family farm near Winifred, Montana. In addition to her 15 year stint as a farm wife, Slivka has also spent time as an ag journalist, a high school teacher, an editor, and the chief chicken plucker in her son's new business venture. These experiences provide her with an interesting and humorous perspective on agricultural issues, which she shares in her long-running column in a regional ag newspaper. The Slivkas consider their most important contribution to agriculture to be their four children, Riley, Anna, Matthew, and Emma Lou, whose adventures can be found at www.raisingcountrykids.com.