American Agri-Women (AAW) presented the LEAVEN Award, its highest honor for members, to Rose Tryon VanCott of California Women in Agriculture at its 2022 National Convention held recently in Bozeman, Montana.
Rose grew up on a beef, dairy, and potato farm. She is a fifth-generation farmer on her father’s side of the family and a third-generation Portuguese immigrant and farmer on her mother’s side. Rose and her husband, Michael VanCott, are actively involved in the operation of her family farm in Del Norte County, California.
Rose was the 25th State President of California Women for Agriculture. She has served in multiple capacities at both state and local levels of CWA Rose has been an active member of American Agri Women since 2011. Rose served six years on the American Agri Women foundation board of directors. In addition, she has served as the AAW Natural Resources Co-Director for the past several years. Rose currently serves as the first vice president of the American Agri-Women organization.
On November 8th of, 2018, Rose and her husband, Michael, lost their home in the devastating forest fire that destroyed the town of Paradise, California. They have rebuilt their home in Paradise. In November 2020, Rose was elected to the Paradise Town Council and currently represents the town council on the Butte County Air Quality Management District Governing Board.
Rose is a retired District Attorney investigator specializing in child abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence investigations. She is also a full-charge bookkeeper specializing in agricultural accounting and has a unique background and work experience in farming and law enforcement.
Rose enjoys collaborating with people from diverse social and economic backgrounds and has been a longtime advocate for the health of rural communities.
AAW presents the LEAVEN AWARD to those persons who, to an extraordinary degree, have acted as “leaven,” a truly feminine concept since “lady” means giver of bread. “Leaven” (yeast) is a small element that can interact and influence everything around it. It permeates and raises the elements it’s mixed with. Leaven multiplies its effectiveness for good.
Source : American Agri Women