ELGIN, N.D. – Family and friends are most important to full-time country mom, grandmother, farmer and beekeeper owner, Marie Roth Ackerman.

Marie and her husband, Daniel, raise purebred Angus and operate a commercial cow/calf operation north of Elgin.

REGAN, N.D. – Her work may be behind the scenes, but for County Woman finalist Katy Kassian, everything she does is definitely in the forefront of the minds of her loved ones.

Katy, who described her and her husband’s operation near Regan as “a little crop, a little cow,” was both thrilled and suspicious when she found out she was nominated for the title of Country Woman of the Year.

VERONA, N.D. – Whether she’s being referred to as an artist or “sports grandma,” County Woman of the Year finalist, Katherine Plessner, is always there for her family and husband as they work together on their 5th generation farmstead.

Katherine farms with her husband, Kent, southwest of Verona in southeast North Dakota. They started out in 1972, immediately getting into dairy farming, stock cattle, and grain farming. Today they only grain farm, growing corn, soybeans, and now barley for the first time this year.

NEW ROCKFORD, N.D. – Leann Schafer is a partner on a farming operation west of New Rockford that involves many different aspects such as grain farming, running a cow-calf herd, a feedlot and Roughrider Feeds, a Purina Feed dealership.

In addition to those duties, she is very involved with commodity organizations, a large number of youth activities that involve both 4-H and FFA, plus a number of civic organizations.

LAKOTA, N.D. – A stone’s throw to the east from Highway 1, nine miles south of Lakota is where you find Diane Swenson, one of six finalists for Farm & Ranch Guide’s Country Woman of the Year award.

The Swenson place is hard to miss, since her home is one of several located on the yard of Dusty Willow Dairy. Although Diane and her husband, Kim, aren’t actually involved in the dairy operation, they play a major role in raising some of the feed needed and chopping the alfalfa and corn silage the 800-cow dairy, that is owned by her brother-in-law, needs.

SARLES, N.D. – Terri Haberstroh has lived her entire life on a farm, yet she has accomplished just as much as if she had moved to a large city.

As the “go-to” lady in her community and surrounding area, Terri is known for getting things done.