Texas Fire Relief: Cattle Mafia, Unstoppable Community Resilience, and the Power of Service

Discover how Natalie Meeks of Cattle Mafia and others answered the call during Texas’s biggest wildfire. From the first responders to grassroots efforts, learn how community resilience and the power of service are reshaping our nation’s future.

Natalie Meeks, the Cattle Mafia, and Texas Wildfire Relief

There are no heroes, just those with a truck.

“Have truck—will travel!”

That’s not something Natalie Meeks of Cattle Mafia thought she’d be saying on the afternoon of the Smokehouse Creek Fire.

The creator and founder of Cattle Mafia isn’t even located in the Texas Panhandle, which, as I like to joke, is TRUE Texas cattle country.

Mrs. Meeks isn’t even a cattle rancher. She’s a first-generation agricultural teacher from East Texas, and she has a truck and will travel.

Natalie is like so many moms across this nation who’ve decided to take action without asking for permission.

My article today isn’t about fanfare. It’s real simple. Natalie won my heart the first time I saw her in Amarillo, Texas, at one of the first fire relief fundraisers with Michael Martin Murphy and Lyle Lovett at the Big Texan Steakhouse and Starlight Ranch.

image 7
(Natalie Meeks of Cattle Mafia and Michael Martin Murphy)

She hugged me, and we laughed and said aloud, “Have truck—will travel.”

Now, let’s put ourselves back into the mindset of everyone during the time of the fire. When was the first time you heard about it? What was your first response? What emotions did you go through? I know most of us usually feel helpless because we want to help and be part of the solution, not the problem.

At times in life, we just have to accept that we need to GO!

And go the Cattle Mafia did. She posted on social media that she had a truck and was available to start delivering the much-needed feed and hay that would soon be donated by the tons. No trailer, just a truck.

“Have truck—will travel!”

Within several hours, Natalie had a donated trailer and a full load and struck off in the direction of the biggest wildfire in Texas history.

No manuals, no scripts. Just a mom in her truck on a mission to serve.

image 8

Last year, me and Ruffshot did a 64-day tour around the United States. We produced a podcast on the road titled “Servant Leaders” (docuseries with Crowdhealth Carnivore coming soon). In that recording, we discussed the type of person who just has to serve. Their desire in life is to give first and foremost before they receive.

I didn’t know anything about Cattle Mafia or Natalie Meeks back in the spring of 2023. Below is an introduction to Natalie and her family taken from the Cattle Mafia website:

image 9

This Is A Family Business

It all started behind the wheel on the way home from Crockett, Tx, just one of many shows Reed’s senior year with his beloved heifer Sugar. Reed expressed his love and loyalty to the show cattle industry and crushed my dream of having a game warden in the family! The words he used stuck in my head…”Mom, I am so addicted to show cattle, it is like a family, everyone works and helps and has their role ya know…well Mom…it’s like the Mafia, but in a good way.” I think I laughed so hard I nearly wrecked the truck but with that said Cattle Mafia was born!

Cattle Mafia has evolved into something much bigger and we couldn’t be more excited!

Cattle Mafia is a livestock lifestyle company promoting Family, Loyalty, Sacrifice, show cattle, and the American dream of raising cattle.

P.S. they sell cool cattle swag too!

image 10
(Natalie Meeks Texas Journey in 2023)

Now, I’m the one who’s always bragging about how many miles I’ve driven and places I’ve traveled. As you can tell, Natalie and the Cattle Mafia have been canvassing Texas since the beginning of 2023. The above image depicts that Texas adventure and the towns visited. The journey includes over 30 conferences, summits, trade shows, and events she’s attended and represented. Each day pioneering awareness and never-ending support for our independent and sovereign cattlemen and cattlewomen of America.

She “Has truck—will travel.” She just has to GO, and she doesn’t ask for permission.

This is a valuable trait to possess in these days and times in which we live. There are no laws in this nation that say you can’t serve and give back to those you don’t even know. But as Reed told his mom, being part of the livestock industry/community is like family.

Isn’t this a simple fact that a nation used to believe in? We once didn’t dislike each other so much, our nation and our children had an innocence we protected. The devastation in this nation goes much broader and wider than a wildfire.

We sometimes think we have to ask for permission to follow our gut instincts and serve our children in a way that innocence and clarity speak.

Why is it that a nation can’t see what’s right in front of it but works so hard to debate situations that don’t deserve focus at all?

Why is it that a nation sometimes seems like it’s lost its backbone, its grit, its true character?

Folks, there’s a casting call being broadcast across this nation. You don’t have to ask for permission to create a new horizon for the next generation of children and livestock needed for this nation to sustain its independence and innocence.

There are generations of moms across this nation who aren’t asking for permission anymore, and they don’t care who judges them or what kind of back-biting might occur in the good ol’ boy clubs.

image 11
(Louise Smith, Natalie Meeks, Sue Fatheree are cattlewomen, ranchers, fire victims and the Cattle Mafia)

We’re creating a new perception when it comes to food and the cattle industry. We’re not going to ask for permission, and we have lots of trucks, trailers, and all the cattle and grass you could ever need.

These are the truths a nation and a new generation need to hear and believe.

I believe in always giving first before I ever receive. The Beef Initiative and the I Am Texas Slim Foundation is one big collaboration. Thousands are now flooding through the gates, and they’re ready to serve.

Thousands also responded during the Texas wildfires, and they’re still serving today.

Is a nation treating its next generation of cattlemen and cattlewomen like it treats the next swipe on social media?

Are there thousands of individuals tired of the status quo of complacency?

Both of these questions define our reality in the United States of America.

Is there a chart quantifying and depicting the miles Natalie has put on her truck?

Is there a medal or formal recognition?

Nope.

Just the opportunity to do it again and again.

I’m going to make sure of it. I’ve asked Natalie and the Cattle Mafia to join forces. We’re working on the details, and more will be revealed later.

This collaboration continues, and I couldn’t be happier right now because there are no scripts, no judgments, and no hesitations when it’s time to GO.

People like Natalie, Lee Wells, and everyone who’s been part of the relief and recovery efforts usually don’t ask for much permission.

image 12
(Natalie Meeks & Lee Wells at the We’re Here premiere)

They “Have truck—will travel!”

Will this nation answer the call I’m about to ask it?

Natalie and Lee wrote the book on it.

I Am Texas Slim, are you?

“Have truck—will travel!”

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Advertisements

Advertise here!

Read more

America The Titanic – Managing After Impact with the Disastrous Biden/Harris Iceberg

America The Titanic – Managing After Impact with the Disastrous Biden/Harris Iceberg

America stands at a critical tipping point. This policy paper warns that recent federal resilience initiatives, advanced under the banner of equity, have centralized control across nearly all aspects of American life—from local governance to individual choices. To protect the foundational freedoms of America’s farmers and ranchers, the I Am Texas Slim Foundation calls for immediate executive actions to dismantle these mandates and restore power to communities, pushing back against what they describe as a coordinated agenda of control disguised as resilience.

The Case for Buying Rancher-Direct Bulk Beef

The Case for Buying Rancher-Direct Bulk Beef

Skip the supermarket and go straight to the source. Buying beef direct from ranchers means superior flavor, trusted sourcing, and real value—no middlemen, no compromises. Discover why premium, ranch-direct beef is the smart choice for your family and how Salt & Sear Craft Beef delivers the best straight to your door.

Sponsored: The Freedom Framework – Restoring Truth and Trust in a Broken World

Sponsored: The Freedom Framework – Restoring Truth and Trust in a Broken World

As centralized systems crumble under their own weight, a better way is emerging. CrowdHealth, The Beef Initiative, and Bitcoin are reconnecting people to what truly matters—autonomy, connection, and integrity. These peer-to-peer models don’t just offer alternatives; they empower individuals to reclaim control over their health, food, and financial independence. This isn’t about looking back—it’s about moving forward with purpose and resilience.