“There is a culture around different ranching communities or farming communities where I always felt like I had to look, act and talk like everybody else to have a spot at the table,” said Gina Tran. “And to an extent, to get your foot in the door, you had to do that. But once I got involved and everybody realized I was here to stick around, it morphed into people wanting to know more about where I came from, my cultural background and how unique it is.”

Florida cattlewoman, Gina Tran, was raised in Orlando, Florida, and her parents are immigrants from Vietnam. Although she had no ties to the agriculture industry growing up, she was encouraged to join the National FFA Organization in high school. Thankfully, her urban high school offered FFA and had enough land for students to raise animals to gain hands-on experience in production agriculture. She raised steers to show at the Florida State Fair and, through a program called the Youth Steer Futurity, she was introduced to commercial cattle production in Florida. 

“Through that program, I got to meet a lot of producers from around the state, and I fell in love with the industry by seeing the camaraderie and fellowship among them,” she said. 

Gina graduated from the University of Florida (UF) with a degree in animal science. While she was at UF, she interned with several Florida ranches to learn the diversity of the industry through exposure and hard work. She spent summers working at Archbold’s Buck Island Ranch, Longino Ranch and Deseret Ranches. 

“I knew that in order to work for large animal producers, I needed to have more experience and more of an understanding of what they do on a day-to-day basis,” Gina explained. “Buck Island Ranch is where I learned to ride a horse for the first time and how I learned to work cattle.” 

Upon graduation, Gina was still searching for the right place for herself in the cattle industry. To continue her growth, she is currently working as an intern with the East Foundation in South Texas, a ranch that focuses on preserving legacy and promotes the advancement of land stewardship through ranching, science and education. Gina has committed time to organizations like UF’s Gator Collegiate CattleWomen, National Block and Bridle Club, Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Florida CattleWomen, Inc., American National CattleWomen and NCBA. She values networking with peers and taking an active role in grassroots organizations. 

“At the end of the day, everyone's busy back on their own ranches, doing their own thing, but they don't realize how much of an impact they can have until they get together and really stand for something as a group, as a whole,” Gina said. 

Gina’s Vietnamese culture has given her a unique perspective on the cattle industry. 

“For a while, I always felt like I had an identity crisis. I didn't know who I was because some days I didn't feel American enough. Some days I didn't feel Asian enough,” she admitted. “So, when people started coming up to me to tell me they thought it was cool that I posted a picture of myself on a horse in my traditional wear, it was so cool to hear. It made me want to embrace more of who I am and made me realize what I could bring to the table, and it didn't matter what anybody else thought of me.” 

As someone who is enamored with storytelling, Gina has started a podcast with co-host Mary Margaret Hardee called "Herding Her Story.” Together they hope to inspire younger generations while also preserving the history of different parts of the agriculture industry through a different lens. 

"We created this podcast to connect with women from all over the agricultural industry to highlight their accomplishments and success stories,” Gina said. “We also want to feature the men who have supported ambitious and hard-working females who are making headway in the industry. It’s no secret that success comes with challenges along the way for everyone. However, we hope to shed some light on the trials and tribulations women face in a male-dominated industry, but also show that it is possible to find happiness and success through patience, grit, determination, resiliency and an open mind." 

Gina’s background allows her to relate to many consumers who have questions about where their beef comes from and how it is raised, and her story will help people without traditional agriculture backgrounds find places to become involved and support the cattle industry. 

“I would advise anyone to seize any opportunity that comes across your plate. And if there aren't any opportunities that come across your plate, make your own opportunities. It starts with just asking a question. And the worst somebody can say is no, and you can just move on and find a different opportunity."