GRASSLAND – Farm women today, as in the past, are certainly strong contributors to the family farm, and Shannon Knott is no exception.
Named the Athabasca County 2022 Modern Farm Woman of the Year, and nominated by Sue Crest, herself a past recipient of the award, Knott is most certainly well-deserving. The information from her nomination tells the story of the busy life of a busy farm wife.
It’s a long way and a big difference from the prairie country Oyen where she grew up, to the Knott family farm at Rochester, but the farm life and working with livestock has been a passion throughout.
Her childhood chores were busy feeding chickens, gathering eggs, milking cows and feeding pigs, and helping out her grandpa and uncle with cattle chores. She has a passion for horses and was in horse 4-H and showed at various shows.
After graduating from high school in 1983, she attended Lakeland College at Vermilion where she graduated in 1985 in animal health technology. Following college she worked at the college farm for a year and then worked another year for a local farmer.
In 1988, she moved back to Oyen, where she worked at the Oyen Vet Service.
Then, in 1991, she married Stan Knott and the couple moved to Rochester.
During that time, from 1990 to 1992, she worked at Staffords Feedlot northwest of Athabasca caring for animals and working with the silage making crew.
In 1997, the couple moved to Sherwood Park so Stan could pursue his welding career, while she kept herself busy and in 2000, received her massage therapist diploma.
The farm life kept calling, and in 2017, the family moved back to the Rochester family farm, where they started their beef herd, and she became fully involved in farming once again.
She is the backbone to the care and feeding of the animals on the farm, calving out 50 head of beef cows, which has recently been bumped up to 85 head. Her training at Vermilion and work at Oyen Vet Service is put to good use on the farm. She makes all the breeding decisions and bull purchases, and also AI’s all animals first service. It is noted her attention to animal health is top notch.
Her farm life goes well beyond the beef herd. When it comes to field work, she is a key player either cutting or baling hay, baling straw, hauling bales, hauling manure, fencing or just general farm work, and noted as “a gal you can count on.”
Knott also spends hours out in the barn, and no animal goes hungry or uncared for. Coming back to the farm after several years of being vacant proved to be a challenge of rebuilding, fencing, barns maintenance and yard clean up; a huge undertaking, but one she was also up to the task for.
There is also active life for Knott beyond the farm gate. In the past, she has been a huge volunteer in the 4-H program, school and the school band, and a committee member for the Josephburg Ag Society, and a past volunteer for the Rochester Curling Club.
At present, she is also part of the Rochester Cemetery Clean up, and neighbours will tell you that she is the first person that a lot of neighbours call when they need help working cattle, feeding calves or general farm help.
Without a doubt, most certainly a very worthy recipient of the 2022 Modern Farm Woman of the Year award.
In the previous two years, the Farm Women’s Conference & Awards were not held due to COVID-19, but the two special Pioneer and Modern Farm Woman of the Year were still presented.
In 2020, Beth Gunderson received the Pioneer Farm Woman Award and Carol Burden the Modern Farm Woman Award.
In 2021, Gladys Markowski received the Pioneer Farm Woman Award and Candice Gislason the Modern Farm Woman Award.
More from the day
While the Farm Woman of the Year awards were the highlight of the event, there was a full agenda, with Larry Speers as MC.
The day began with Janis Borgen giving an interesting presentation on vegetable gardening, followed by a presentation on Wills & Estates with Paul Kinoshita from Quantz Law explaining some of the legal requirements. Those presentations were followed by some helpful hints from Shelby Eloria from All Set Style & Image Consult on how to use clothing to express who you truly are inside.
Following dinner and the 2022 Farm Women of the Year presentations, John Wheelwright, a guide and service dog specialist and his service-dog-in-training Cooper, a two-year-old purebred Labrador Retriever, explained the legislative framework for the guide and service-dog program and the initiatives Alberta has adopted to increase the available supply of these dogs.
The last presentation of the day was a fashion show, presented by Straight & Arrow Boutique, just outside of Plamondon which featured local women in outfits to fit their life and style.
The day wrapped up with the great musical and singing talent of three women from Plamondon; Girlz with Guitarz, singing and playing some familiar songs from the past.
During the day, there were also a couple of stretch breaks and dozens of door prizes handed out, along with a gift bag of goodies for each of the ladies in attendance.
Next year will be the 40th-annual Farm Women’s Conference & Awards event, and the committee is already planning to make this one extra special.
