Biographies



Clydene Bultman
Entrepreneur, Farm Girl, Mom

The youngest of eight children, Clydene grew up in eastern Montana.  Not unusual in rural life, her home was completely dependent upon the land -no running water, ranching, hunting, farming and gardening.

Clydene attended Carroll College, in Helena, Montana and obtained a masters in Management Sciences at Stanford University.  She led a successful career in the Silicon Valley beginning with the high-tech company - Applied Materials, went on to work on Wall Street, and subsequently started a business consulting practice.

Clydene returned to Montana to launch Thompson River Ranch American Wagyu with her husband and co-partner Gary Bultman and has recently started a environmental camp for junior high school girls - Reconnecting Our Roots. The ranch has been a way to give her daughters a rich childhood experience of the outdoors. Clydene, husband Gary, and two daughters – Danielle and Kate, are the 3rd generation ranchers in the Thompson Valley.

“For us, the ranch started as a great place to teach our girls about 'real living' as opposed to living in the Silicon Valley. At first blush, everyone wonders why here and why Montana?  Hey, I'm from Montana and it's a great place to grow up but truly it is so much more than that. We are blessed to be part of this incredibly special place and I've always said that the ranch was meant to be shared.  

A great colleague of my husband's, Sam Harrell, was one of the first ranchers in the U.S.to produce this spectacular breed. We quickly converted our herd to Wagyu, with Sam's genetics, and have been progressing ever since. We are now one of the largest high-percentage, long-fed American Wagyu producers. Many of you have had our beef under different names and we've recently decided to start marketing it on our own as we are truly passionate about bringing the best product to our customers.  

"Loving a sustainable lifestyle and living off the land is truly a gift in these days. We absolutely love to share this lifestyle with others. We’ve been stewards of Thompson River Ranch for the past eleven years. The land has taught us a great deal since we first arrived and we still have a lot more to learn. Join our family, enjoy life and indulge in the best we have to offer – high percentage, long-fed, American Wagyu. You’ve hit Prime Time!"

 

H. Martin Andersen
Rancher Manager and Past-President of the American-Wagyu Association
Martin loves what he does for a living. Montana is his paradise, where he's resided for the past 20 years. He has a BS in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of Nevada, Reno.
He started working with Wagyu 9 years ago, and was the formally the President of the American Wagyu Association. Currently, and for the past seven years, Martin has been part of the Association's Board of Directors.

Elle Andersen Scalese
Amazing Individual, Awesome Rancher, Range Manager, Loving Mother, Wife & Daughter

Elle Scalese, Range Manager and all around ranch-hand grew up in St. Ignatius, Montana, a small town in the beautiful Mission Valley just 100 miles south west of the ranch. Growing up with an agricultural background, Elle decided at a young age that ranch life was for her. She attended Montana State University, in Bozeman Montana graduating with a degree in Rangeland Ecology and Management. 

After moving to Idaho with her husband Tom, for several years, the couple decided they wanted to return to ranch life and Montana to raise their children. Thompson River Ranch is just the right fit for the couple and their young daughter Sicily. There is no better place for kids to grow up - fresh air and strong work ethic of ranch life.

Aaron Crumbaugh

 

AARON CRUMBAUGH

Cuisinier of Comestible Culinary Contentment,