First-time mom shares joys of bringing new son into agriculture

WRITTEN BY REBECCA COLNAR PHOTOS HANKINS FAMILY

Fiona Mott Hankins didn’t grow up on a ranch in the traditional sense. She was raised in the town of Miles City, but her grandparents owned a ranch in Simms, Montana, west of Great Falls. The family leased summer pasture for their cattle. In winter and for calving season part of the herd was at her grandparents’ ranch and some were at her aunt and uncle’s ranch in Custer, Montana. Fiona spent plenty of time traveling to the two ranches. When the Simms house tragically burned to the ground in 2014, the grandparents opted to move closer to family, buying a ranch north of Miles City.

“When I graduated from Custer County High School in 2014, I wasn’t ready to attend college, so I joined the Marine Corps Reserves,” said Fiona. “I did a year of training, then returned to Montana to serve in a Montana unit for six years while going to college and working on the ranch.”

Fiona made the rank of Sergeant but did not reenlist in 2020. Then she graduated from Montana State University in 2019 but wasn’t ready to settle down.

“On a whim, I applied for a job with the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office,” she said. “I worked as a deputy sheriff in the Three Forks area for 18 months. I enjoyed the rural nature of that area. I exited public service in August 2022, wanting to go back to our ranch. By then I had met my future husband. For me, law enforcement wasn’t conducive to family life.”

Fiona’s husband, Vernon, hails from a family farm near Fort Benton, but the couple opted to move to the Miles City Ranch where they continue to help with the cattle. On October 1, 2023, Fiona gave birth to their son, Killian.

“While I was pregnant, the one thing I worried about was that I wasn’t pulling my weight,” the 27-year-old shared. “I hate having people do things for me. I kept saddling my own horse well into my pregnancy. Later in my pregnancy and now having Killian with me, I need to humble myself and ask for help. I have always prided myself in being as capable as the other hands out there. Asking for help is a weird experience.”

Killian spends a lot of his time snuggled up to his mom in the carrier. “I just strap him to the front of me when I need do something and we take him everywhere. Since he was born in the middle of our fall cattle work, they needed help so I just brought him with me. He’s been out riding and sorting (separating cattle by sex or brand) with me.”

She admits that she now has a slower start in the mornings, and that she is more safety conscious post-baby. “During pregnancy and now when I have him strapped to me, I have had to stop doing certain things, like jumping in front of a cow to stop her. Even when he’s not strapped to me, I’m more conscious of safety because I can’t get hurt to the point that I can’t take care of him.”

The couple enjoys being able to share what they love with him. “Even though he’s only 2 months old, I feel he’s interested in what we’re doing. He seems excited when we’re feeding the cows and he’ll watch the cows out of the window when they run over to get their cake (pelleted feed). He seems interested in horses and loves being outside.”

Fiona hopes their son takes an interest in the lifestyle and learns to have an attachment to the land. “It’s wonderful being able to share our passion and give him a lot of family time. I don’t think children grow up around their families like they used to, but in agriculture, there is the opportunity to do so.”

As a first-time mom, Fiona wants other future moms to know it’s not as scary as you think it will be once you have the baby. “It just all seems to come together.”

Rebecca Colnar is Director of Public Relations for Montana Farm Bureau and a freelance writer from Custer, Montana.