Star Farmer Megan Regnier enjoys cattle and building tractors
By Carol Stender
cstender@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 05/30/2012 1:32 PM
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CANBY, Minn. — When Canby senior Megan Regnier started her Supervised Agricultural Experience four years ago, she had one heifer. Today, she has 22 crossbred cows, 20 calves and nine market heifers and steers.
Her hard work recently earned Regnier the Minnesota FFA's Star Farmer honor.
Regnier has been around cattle all her life. Her grandfather, Clem, raised cattle. Her father, Darrell, has around 40 cow-calf pairs.
She caught the cattle bug while watching older brothers and her sister show.
"I didn't just want to have a calf to show at the fair," she said. "I wanted an animal I could breed and show again the next year."
She is involved in a non-hormone treated cattle program that provides an 8 cents per pound premium for market animals.
Through a high-quality feed ration and program, her fed animals have achieved a three to four pound average daily gain.
The Regniers calve twice a year. The first cows calve in April and the second in August.
She doesn't focus on a breed. Genetics are what's important, she said.
The Regniers sell market animals conventionally and direct to customers.
Regnier is an ambassador for the Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association.
"Being involved with the cattlemen's association and telling all the people about what we do helps promote the industry," she said. "We are getting the world out and telling people that what they hear on the news isn't always true. .. We tell people about cattle production."
When she's not working with cattle, Regnier can be found in the farm's shop.
She's a bit of a grease monkey, she said.
Regnier learned tractor and machinery parts by hanging around the shop. When equipment breaks, she repairs it herself during the cropping season.
Like her grandparents and her father, Regnier enjoys participating in tractor pulling events. She is a member of the National Tractor Pull and, last year, was named Rookie of the Year by the United Pullers of America.
She did all the work building her 1206 International Wheatland tractor for pulling events. Regnier named it "Contraption."
Her mechanical abilities qualified her for the 2012 State Ag Mechanics CDE.
Regnier joined FFA in seventh grade. She credits the junior high program which was a discovery of FFA. During those two years she watched older FFA members, learned how to prepare for contests and discovered the leadership opportunities in the organization. She became the chapter's reporter her sophomore year, was the vice president her junior year and was elected president for her senior year.
She thanks her adviser, Duane Lichy, and her parents, Dawn and Darrell Regnier, for their support.
Regnier will attend South Dakota State University in Brookings and major in ag mechanics.