A passion for all things agriculture brought Elisabeth Schönhart from Austria to Canada.
“I always wanted to take over my parent’s (dairy) farm but my youngest brother will get it. Not many women farm back in Europe,” said 25-year-old Schönhart, who moved to Canada four years ago.
Her devotion to nature and farming began when she was young, and as she got older, she said she took every opportunity to learn something new.
“Most of my summers were spent in different countries. I started working in Ireland when I was 14 years old, on a dairy farm.”
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As a young woman without fluent English, Schönhart faced challenges but persevered.
“I couldn’t speak English at all, at that time. However, I continued to go all over Europe to check out the farming.”
But ultimately Canada was her choice, a decision made after vacationing here with her brother.
“There was something about Canada that made me want to come back,” she said, noting the friendliness of the people. “So, I got my paperwork done and in 2019, I started working for a custom grain farm in Alberta.”
Schönhart got a job with Meinema Custom Farms in Lacombe, an experience that encouraged her to move to Canada permanently. She also discovered a knack for photography while taking pictures to send to family in Austria.
“I started taking the pictures to show my family and friends back home how agriculture is in different parts of the world. I never thought people would like them this much, because for me, it was just a quick picture of a sunrise in the morning after a night shift, or a picture of what I’m working on.”
Schönhart’s love of nature extends past her working hours. In her free time, she enjoys skiing and taking her dogs, Bella, Zeus and Zoey, to the lake for a swim.
“The best part of moving (to Canada) have been the people I’ve met. Everybody is so welcoming to me and it’s starting to feel like home. I’m being respected as a woman who works in agriculture.”
