by Angela Lovell.
Carrie Plett wears many hats; she is the owner of Plett Cattle & Performance Horses, a business she runs together with her husband from their 40-acre farm near Grunthal, Manitoba. She is a beef farmer, a health and fitness leader, PiYo instructor and rodeo horse trainer. She is also a corporate member of Manitoba Women in Agriculture & Food (MWAF).
“We found each other on Facebook,” Plett says. “Laura [Lazo-MWAF Chair] contacted me and said she was interested in our farm. I joined the group and participated in some of the AgChats, and from there, we planned an event together for people to come and visit the farm. It was harvest time, so they could pick their own vegetables like potatoes, corn and carrots, as well as purchase our homegrown beef.”
Everyone who attended, many of them women from different countries and cultural backgrounds, had a great time learning more about how a farm in Manitoba operates, and Plett and her family made lots of new friends.
Focused on fitness.
Plett has always been avid about athletics, was on the track team in high school, and coached the Manitoba Special Olympics track team after she graduated. She has worked as a fitness leader for many years, and four years ago became a Team Beachbody Coach, a global online community focusing on fitness.
As a Team Beachbody Coach, Plett can recommend a number of pre-programmed fitness regimes for different applications. For example, if someone is recovering from an injury, she would recommend stretching, yoga and meditation. If they are preparing to try out for a sports team, she would recommend more athletic agility and weight training. Then there are programs that are for everybody, as well as nutritional programs; it’s a one-stop shop for health and fitness.
“It’s a rewarding experience,” says Plett, who gets messages from people that she has helped to improve their lives and their health. “I get messages all the time; things like, ‘I went shopping and I got a smaller jean size today’, or ‘I just simply feel better’. Simply, my model is movement is medicine, and I just encourage people to get outside, do what you can, go for a walk, but get moving.”
A passion for networking.
MWAF is a natural fit for Plett because part of her passion is for networking and connecting women through health and fitness. The real value of being an MWAF member, says Plett, is just simply connecting with other like-minded women in the ag industry, and the friendships she has made. “I believe MWAF helps promote the knowledge of women’s impact in agriculture and what their role is in the farming community,” Plett adds.
For more information about Carrie and Plett Cattle & Performance Horses, visit MWAF’s Women in Agribusiness page.
