She grew up on a ranch in B.C. and now farms in Morse, Sask.
Leading up to International Women’s Day on March 8, Farms.com is speaking with as many women in ag as possible about three topics:
- What would you tell your 12-year-old self about being a farmer?
- Advice you have for women new to the ag industry
- Identify a woman in ag you consider a mentor or inspiration
One of the first Canadian producers Farms.com is highlighting is Erika Stewart, who owns Pine Ranch in Morse, Sask., with her parents, her husband, Lyle, and their three daughters.
Stewart grew up on her family’s ranch in Merritt, B.C., and has fond memories of following her dad around the farm.
As a young girl, Stewart knew she wanted to be a farmer.
So, she’d tell her 12-year-old self to keep pushing when things get tough.
“My advice would be to just keep going,” she told Farms.com. “Some of the best parts are the ones you never imagined with all the twists and turns life can throw at you. But you’ll end up exactly where you’re meant to be if you allow yourself to be open to opportunities and to keep learning.”
That drive to keep learning earned Stewart a spot as a mentee in 2012 in the Canadian Young Leaders Program. She was also the inaugural president of the Young Cattlemen’s Council.
It’s also where she met someone whom she considers a mentor to this day.
That’s Erika Fossen, who operates Bar 7 Ranch in Rock Creek, B.C., with her husband, Doug.
“We still talk and they’re like our best friends,” Stewart said.
Another person Stewart wanted to highlight is Kelly Sidoryk, a farmer from Lloydminster, Alta., who also consults in areas like succession and strategic planning.
“She is absolutely dynamite,” Stewart said. “She gives back and does so many events in the community for women in ag. Haley Rutherford is another super rancher who is looking for ways to improve and be better.
“I’m very lucky to have so many mentors to turn to.”
Stewart and her parents, Bill and Terry Strande, relocated the farm to Saskatchewan in 2017.
And when things got tough on the farm, Stewart looked for ways to turn those negatives into positives.
“We’re totally out of our comfort zone, and then we’ve been in drought in seven years since we moved,” she said. “It’s been really hard, but it highlighted some management things that we needed to work on. It’s important to be humble enough to recognize you might not know very much right now, but if you’re open to new ideas you can learn really important lessons along the way.”
Ag can seem like a daunting industry to get into.
But Stewart’s advice to young people considering the industry is to embrace the unknown.
“It’s not that you don’t know, it’s that you’ve never done it before,” she said. “You can always learn new skills and improve. If you’re passionate about ag, follow your heart and you’ll make those connections.”
Farms.com also spoke with Shannon Douglass, the first female president of the California Farm Bureau.
Douglass didn’t grow up on a farm but grew up with a rural lifestyle that included 4-H and FFA which helped develop her passion for agriculture.
Be sure to check Farms.com often this week for more profiles leading up to International Women’s Day.