Agriculture is one of Alberta’s founding industries, and women play a key role on Alberta’s farms, ranches, and agri-business.
CFCW proudly presents the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation “Women in Ag Award”! The 2024 Award is going to eight women who have been recognized for their passion, dedication, and commitment to women in agriculture in Alberta. See the full list of recipients below, and Click HERE for more information!
CFCW will salute these hard-working “Women of Ag” on the Alberta Ag Show. Tune in every Friday starting March 22nd for the full Rural Connection interview as Cheryl Brooks highlights one of this year’s recipients each week.
AFSC Women in Ag Award 2024 Recipients
Josie Van Lent
Professional Leader Category: Recognizing those with paid agricultural careers who have demonstrated life-long leadership or mentorship within the agriculture or agri-food industry.
Josie is an active partner in her family’s multi-generational Staden Farms (est. 1908), with enterprises in bison, beef and crops.
Receiving various degrees and certificates over the years, including a Bachelor of Science, Agriculture, University of Alberta, she was an instructor at Lakeland College in Vermilion before eventually becoming the Dean of Agriculture and a key driver behind Canada’s first Bachelor of Agriculture Technology program.
Josie has also worked as a Sales Representative for Webb’s Crop Services, a Beef Specialist at Alberta Agriculture, and has been on various committees, including the U of A’s Rangeland Research Institute Advisory Council, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Livestock Research Review, Alberta Livestock Meat Agency Technical Research Review, and Soil Conservation Council of Canada.
She is a Member of the Vermilion Agriculture Society, volunteers for 4-H and Special Olympics, and has received the 2018 Colleges and Institutes of Canada Award of Excellence in Leadership and the 2020 John F Kennelly Western Canadian Dairy Seminar Award of Merit.
Penny Miller
The Operator Category: Celebrating primary agriculture producers and agri-business owners who are the backbone of their operations or businesses.
Penny is the primary operator of her farm, tending to the 200+ animals, cutting and baling hay, making sileage, managing the farm’s finances and paperwork, maintaining equipment and the farm, in addition to being a mom and wife, managing a grazing reserve with her husband, and working at the local Auction mart.
She actively seeks out opportunities for collaboration in both the cattle and horse industry by attending industry conferences, networking events, and partnering with other organizations and stakeholders.
Penny pushes other women in agricultural to be the best they can be, advocating for gender equality within the agricultural sector and challenging gender bias can help create a more inclusive environment for women.
Emilee Oro
AFSC Women in Ag Employee Award: Exclusively for AFSC employees who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of women in agriculture and agri-food.
Emilee was an active member of the Young Canadian Simmental Association and an executive member of the East Lacombe Beef 4-H Club for several years. She still helps out 4-H today while caring for her 30 head of breeding animals, and promoting them, the sales and the lifestyle through a very active social media presence.
Emilee spent 5 years in the pasture clip program for AFSC and has now transitioned into the Adjuster trainee program based out of the Stettler/Camrose offices. Emilee’s involvement in the purebred cattle industry has demonstrated that young women can and are essential and integral to a strong, vibrant and inclusive industry.
Skyler Vander Velde
The Innovator Category: Celebrating those who find innovative solutions to challenges in agriculture, addressing economic, environmental, and social issues for a more sustainable, and equitable agriculture.
Skyler was involved in the Alberta High School Rodeo Association from a very young age acting as the Student President for District 3 in 2017.
She is the co-founder of Business Wide View, a “One Stop Ag Shop” web app with relevant, educational agriculture information for farmers and ranchers to support knowledge sharing, and collaboration.
Skyler hosts a weekly ag podcast that has guests over the past year such as “Females in Feedlots”, while continuing to help in all aspects on her family cow/calf ranch and her “43 Equine” horse ranch, offering boarding, riding & roping lessons, horse clinics and other live events such as female ranch clinic’s, barrel racing, and team roping.
Kelly Wobeser-Sidoryk
The Community Builder Category: Honoring individuals who bring communities together, elevate the agriculture community and industry, and go the extra mile to build something bigger than themselves for the agriculture sector.
Kelly is an accomplished public speaker, a freelance writer, publishing articles in many agricultural publications, and is directly involved on her own ranch, sustainably raising yearlings and cow/calf pairs.
She volunteers on a variety of committees at the Lloydminster Exhibition Association including local food event, “Harvest Feastival”, and the agricultural conference, “Agrivisions”. She runs the popular Cowgirl Yoga Retreat, and launched the Inspiring Women Conference—a personal/professional development day for women in its 12th year.
Kelly is a Holistic Management certified educator and a professional coach, helping other farms and ranches to reach their sustainability goals including planned grazing, financial management, succession planning and more.
Andrea Hanson
The Promoter Category: Recognizing individuals who advocate for a deeper understanding of agriculture through education, training, or outreach.
With an educational background in animal science and range/pasture management from the University of Alberta, Andrea has played an active role advancing agricultural practices and animal welfare. She has been involved in the development of the anesthetic releasing elastrator band for use in the Canadian lamb industry, and a Neonatal Supplement to improve the nutritional status of calves.
She has three years experience with Lakeland College, 10 years with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation and 20 years as a primary producer in the cattle and forage industries. Andrea has organized and presented at the Ladies Livestock Lessons event, and at Lakeland College, also mentoring various female practicum students.
She has been a leader of the Balzac 4-H Beef Club, the Chair of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede 4-H On Parade Committee, and 4-H Alberta Area Director for the Calgary/South in addition to volunteering on the Calgary Stampede Agricultural Education Committee that facilitates Aggie Days.
Charlotte Wasylik
The Emergent/Rising Star Category: Highlighting young leaders under 40 who demonstrate passion for the agriculture industry, show exceptional promise, and advocate for agriculture
Born and raised on Chatsworth Farm near Vermilion, Charlotte continues to raise commercial cattle, sheep, poultry, legumes, and cereals, managing their farm-to-table program, and hosting Open Farm Days for the past 43 years. She has grown her farm’s social media presence through virtual farm tours and educating families on farm life, and leads on-farm events, community partnerships, restaurants, cooking classes and has appeared in many industry articles.
Charlotte is involved at the board level for Alberta Young Farmers and Ranchers and acts as a consultant and coordinator for the international buyers programs at FarmFair International and Western Canadian Agribition. In 2021, she won the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies’ Outsanding Supporter of Agriculture award.
Iris Meck
The Notable Lifetime Achiever Category: Honoring individuals who have demonstrated life-long leadership and mentorship within the agriculture or agri-food industry.
From her farm roots in Manitoba, Iris earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Certificate in Management from the University of Manitoba, and has spent more than three decades working in agriculture and management with major agri-business firms long before women were sought after in such roles.
In 1999, she started her own agriculture communications and marketing firm, IMCI, planning events and international conferences, including the Advancing Women Conference, a leadership conference for women in agriculture and food.
Iris is also involved with a foundation in Peru that supports a sewing school and a farm, teaching women how to how to grow food for their families, start their own businesses and get jobs in nearby Lima.
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