Perepelkin had little ag experience until she moved away from home
As International Women’s Day approaches on March 8, Farms.com is asking women in ag about what they’d tell their younger selves about being a farmer, to give a piece of advice to young women entering the ag sector, and to highlight a woman in agriculture they consider a mentor or inspiration.
Ashley Perepelkin raises cattle at Perepelkin Farms in Condor, Alta. Her husband, Andrew, oversees the grain operation. Together they have four children.
“We keep our businesses separate so our marriage stays happy,” she told Farms.com.
As a young girl growing up in Red Deer, most of Perepelkin’s exposure to ag came when she rode horses.
“That was the most I was ever immersed in agriculture at the time,” she told Farms.com. “And even then, it was very one sided because everything was delivered to the barn. I never saw how the hay was made, it just showed up.”
At 19, she decided she needed a change.
She packed up her car and drove to Weyburn, Sask. to work at an equestrian facility that also had crop acres.
She was closer to production ag but still didn’t experience it fully.
That came after she returned from Saskatchewan and met her husband on a blind date.
“As I started to spend time with him in the combine and at the farm, I just started to learn,” she said. “I never planned on owning cows one day, it just kind of happened.”
Looking back, despite being around the perimeter of agriculture, Perepelkin didn’t have a desire to be a farmer.
When she was 12, she wanted to be able to help.
“At first I wanted to be a police officer, and I got that from my stepdad who was an auxiliary RCMP officer,” she said. “Then when I wanted to be a horse trainer to help with the animals. If I could go back, I’d tell 12-year-old me to buckle up. I wouldn’t tell her to do everything differently. I’m where I’m at today because of everything I’ve gone through.”
Once she had the opportunity to learn about different aspects of agriculture, she took the opportunity to take continuing education courses to further her knowledge.
A piece of advice she has for women is to look at every opportunity as one they can succeed in.
“I used to work in the auto industry, and I learned so much about communication, and management skills,” she said. “But if I closed that door on myself I wouldn’t know what I know now. I tell women that every avenue is available, it’s a matter of if you’re going to take it.”
During her ag journey, Perepelkin participated in programs like Cattlemen’s Young Leaders in 2024, where Deanne Young, co-owner of High Country Cattle Services, served as her mentor.
She’s also the UFA delegate for Rocky, Rimbey and Sylvan Lake.
Along the way she’s met multiple women who she considers mentors and inspirations, but one woman stands out.
“Her name was Ellen, and she was like a second mother to Andrew,” she said. “She was the dairy farmer down the road, and the first time I was ever up close with a cow was at her barn because she needed help with a calf. When I had down cows she was there to help me find out what the problem was. She taught me how to tell if cows had mastitis. We lost her seven years ago after a battle with cancer. She was such a huge inspiration because I still get a bit emotional when I talk about her.”
Farms.com has chatted with three other women in ag.
Erika Stewart ranches in Morse, Sask.
Shannon Douglass raises beef cattle and forage crops in Glenn County, Calif., and is the current president of the California Farm Bureau.
And Angela Cammaert raises crops and cattle in Elgin County, Ont.