For 14-year-old Brynna Katzenberger, raising livestock is her way of life. She’s been at the local fair every year since she was born with her family and started participating in the peewee division when she was eight years old.
"I love all of it,” said Brynna. “I want to be an agriculture lawyer to help people in this business and help people make the connection to where their food comes from."
It was at the Mesa County Fair two years ago, her family first realized something wasn’t quite right.
“We noticed she wasn’t standing straight, and she wasn’t acting right,” said Brynna’s father Matt Katzenberger. “It turns out she was in a lot of pain.”
Brynna was diagnosed with severe scoliosis and underwent major surgery at Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, which involved the insertion of two rods and 14 screws into her spine. During her recovery, her limited mobility meant she had to adapt and come up with new ways of working with animals. Despite these difficulties, Brynna never lost sight of her passion for livestock and her commitment to the 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) programs.
"I’m very proud of Brynna. Her involvement in 4-H and FAA has helped her heal physically and emotionally. It’s taught her how to have a positive attitude and given her the ability to overcome challenges,” said Matt Katzenberger.
At this year’s Mesa County Fair, Brynna was recognized as a 2024 Beef Herdsman and showed two animals, a heifer named Gwen, and a steer named Miles who placed first in his market class.
Returning to the fairgrounds was no small feat for Brynna. With the support of her family, she gradually resumed her activities, starting first with sheep, then focusing on her prized steer, Miles. Miles had been a challenging project, but Brynna's dedication paid off. She spent countless hours ensuring his well-being, and meticulously managing his diet and stress levels to produce high-quality meat. Brynna says the Katzenberger Beef is “guaranteed to be delicious.”
“There’s a lot of math involved. You have to count up your proteins and your fats. If you don’t keep track, it will make their belly unhappy and then they don’t eat, and that affects the quality of the meat,” said Brynna.
Brynna, now a freshman at Plateau Valley High School, hasn’t shied away from leadership opportunities, including serving on the Mesa County 4H Council. She’s also participated in 4-H conferences, public speaking and networking events, as well as learned livestock judging and the business side of agriculture.
“Brynna is a remarkable young lady. The impact of 4-H and FFA on our youth is transformative; it instills confidence, fosters leadership, and cultivates a spirit of resilience that empowers them to overcome life's challenges," said Victoria Grasmick, Community Health Director at St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. “St. Mary's Hospital was honored to purchase Brynna’s prized steer and is proud to support our local agricultural programs.”
Brynna’s steer is being auctioned off at the St. Mary’s Foundation Ball to raise money for patient services at St. Mary’s Cancer Centers of Colorado, providing much-needed support and resources for cancer patients.
Brynna’s perseverance and determination will now help other patients on their healing journey.