Janie VanWinkle learned about land, livestock and water from an early age growing up in the rural areas of western Colorado near Unaweep Canyon and the Dolores River. Cattle ranching is a family legacy – Janie is a lifelong beef producer and she and her husband, Howard, currently own and manage 600 head of cattle in Mesa County where they work alongside their son‘s family providing high quality protein to families that need it. She works closely with the Forest Service and BLM on grazing permits as well as the City of Grand Junction, leasing three ranches.
Janie is a Past President of Colorado Cattlemen’s Association and is an active community leader serving on various Boards and Councils including Grand Valley Power, 4-H, Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Grand Junction Business Incubator where she was chosen by the Economic Recovery Corps to help create a sustainable ecosystem for agricultural producers in western Colorado. She was named the 2025 U.S. Livestock Industry Leader of the Year during the National Western Stock Show and currently writes a monthly column for the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel focusing on issues facing agriculture production on the western slope of Colorado.
