Local woman honored for her contributions to Wyoming agriculture

Logan Cailey
Posted 8/26/20

Morgan Cross-Shoults of rural Torrington was one of 19 Wyoming women to receive the Heart of Agriculture Award on Aug. 12, at the Wyoming State Fair.

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Local woman honored for her contributions to Wyoming agriculture

Posted

TORRINGTON – Morgan Cross-Shoults of rural Torrington was one of 19 Wyoming women to receive the Heart of Agriculture Award on Aug. 12, at the Wyoming State Fair. 

Cross-Shoults was one of seven honorees who attended the award ceremony. Cross-Shoults received the award for her contributions to agriculture in Wyoming. Extension educator Scott Cotton presented award recipients with certificates and metal “Wyoming Heart of Agriculture Honoree works here” gate signs.

Cross-Shoults said her father was a sheep shearer while growing up. However, her immediate family was not primarily involved in agriculture. Her extended family has been involved in ranching and agriculture for some time. Nevertheless, she was relatively new to the trade.

Cross-Shoults married into a ranching family, the Cross family. She and her husband operated a small cow-calf operation south of Torrington. Cross-Shoults’ husband, Wiley, passed away in a car accident in July 2016. After his passing, Cross-Shoults kept the family ranch going and eventually remarried. Cross-Shoults and her husband continue to operate the cow-calf operation today.

 “I don’t feel like I stand out above the rest, and I am very honored to have received this award,” Cross-Shoults said. “I have had so much help to keep this going, and I do have a love and a passion for agriculture. That is why I have kept with it. I have a passion, and I love it.” 

A very humbled and passionate Cross-Shoults said, “I have definitely had a lot of help and support with it, but I am humbled by receiving this.”

Quincy Gundersen, a program associate for agriculture and 4-H, told The Telegram nominations were made by participating agencies. The participating agencies then reviewed and named award recipients. Gundersen said women involved in agriculture, production and ranching are eligible for the award, and active ranchwomen typically receive
the honor. 

Members of the UW Extension and the co-hosts – the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Wool Growers Association and the Wyoming Farm Bureau – reviewed the nominations. A recognition ceremony, originally planned during the Excellence in Ag seminar in Casper in May, was postponed until this month due to restrictions enacted due to the novel coronavirus.