Gobsmacked.

That’s how Allison Ammeter says she felt after she was selected as the winner of BMO’s ‘Celebrating Women in Agriculture’ award at the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference.

“I didn’t even know there was an award and with the women that are here to be one of the top 100 to receive it, it was pretty amazing,” says Ammeter.

Ammeter says agriculture is her life.

“It’s my passion, it’s my income, it’s my everyday, it’s my goals and it’s my future.”

The Sylvan Lake, Alberta area farmer says so many of the things that

she does outside of the farm to help agriculture in general, also help with their operation

“For example, by promoting the use of pulses It’s so much better because I’m growing a lot of pulses, but, what I am also doing is making agriculture better for my kids if they decide to continue farming, so it is kinda a generation thing too, it’s giving back and it’s improving and it’s looking forward.”

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Ammeter says the best advice she has drawn from her experience is not to turn down an opportunity.

“If somebody asks you to do something they obviously believe in you and they obviously think you can do it and they are willing to support you, so say yes and try it.  They’re going to help you along, failing is not the worst thing that will ever happen and generally you will have experiences and meet people who would be able to do otherwise.”

For more on the Advancing Women in Agriculture Conference click here.