‘The Pioneer Woman’ is one of the Food Network’s biggest stars and a massive force in the food industry — but her plans for domination are just getting started

• Ree Drummond is a famous blogger and star of Food Network’s “The Pioneer Woman.”
• Drummond rose to fame blogging about life on her husband’s ranch.
• The star’s future plans are much bigger than cooking comfort food.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Ree Drummond is one of the biggest names in food.

“The Pioneer Woman” is a People magazine cover star. She has a Food Network show, has published more than a dozen books, and founded a magazine. Her family is the 23rd largest landowner in the US.

It’s been a winding path that brought “The Pioneer Woman” to fame – and it’s not over yet. While Drummond made her name cooking up comfort food, her future plans are much bigger than a blog and Food Network TV show. In April, Kraft Heinz announced it is launching a line of products inspired by Drummond’s recipes.

Here’s how Ree Drummond became “The Pioneer Woman,” and what she’s doing next.

Drummond was born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, an affluent suburb, but moved to Los Angeles to study broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California.

Source: The New Yorker

However, her plan to stick to city living fell apart when she met rugged rancher Ladd Drummond, who she calls "Marlboro Man" in her blog.

Source: The New Yorker

The couple's love for each other has been a constant on "The Pioneer Woman" since the blog's early days — and any photo of the Marlboro Man is sure to provoke comments of "lucky woman" and heart emojis on social media.

In fact, Ladd was no simple cow poke. The Drummond family is the 23rd largest landholder in the US with 433,000 acres — roughly half the size of the state of Rhode Island. The US government has paid the Drummonds $24 million in rent over the past decade.

Source: The Land Report

In 1995, Drummond married Ladd and moved out to the ranch. It was a rough transition — and one that wasn't helped by the fact that Drummond got pregnant on her honeymoon, and then had three more babies in the next seven years.

Source: The New Yorker

Drummond started "The Pioneer Woman" blog in 2006, 11 years after she moved out to the country.

Source: The New Yorker

In early posts, she wasn't aiming to reach many people — just keep her mom updated on the Drummond kids' lives. Her relaxed updates about day-to-day life read like Drummond is telling a story to a new friend, and she quickly amassed loyal followers.

Source: The New Yorker

As time went on, Drummond began to shift into more food photos and recipes — in part because that's what her readers loved.

Source: The New Yorker

Drummond specializes in unfussy comfort food, with dishes that are aimed at feeding a family.

Soon, The Pioneer Woman was one of the most popular blogs on the internet, winning for Best Photography and Best-Designed Weblog at the 2009 Bloggies.

Source: The New Yorker

Drummond has long been known as a savvy businesswoman, telling the New Yorker in 2011 that her blog was a "thriving business."

Source: The New Yorker

In 2011, her show "The Pioneer Woman" debuted on the Food Network.

She's written more than a dozen books and launched "The Pioneer Woman Magazine" in 2017.

However, Drummond's aspirations go beyond food media.

Drummond and Ladd opened The Mercantile in Pawhuska, Oklahoma in 2016. "The Merc," as it is often called by Drummond and her fans, is a triple threat: bakery, deli, and general store.

Up to 15,000 customers flock to Pawhuska every day to visit the site, waiting in line for hours, with some arriving as early as 5 a.m. to get into the restaurant.

Source: Thrillist

Helping revitalize Pawhuska became a new project for the Drummonds.

In 2017, the lodge by Drummond Ranch began offering free tours on select days.

In 2018, Drummond opened an eight-room boutique hotel called The Boarding House.

Each room in the "cowboy luxury" hotel has a unique design and in-room dining.

The Drummonds have also purchased another building next door, which looks like it might be transformed into an ice cream shop.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Drummond announced on Monday that she is about to open an ice cream shop in Pawhuska.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Drummond's business projects extend far beyond small-town Oklahoma. Earlier in April, Purina announced that it had teamed up with Drummond to create a Pioneer Woman-branded line of dog treats.

Drummond is also working with Kraft Heinz on a line of dressings, dips, and pasta sauces.