by Emma Alexander

As a fifth-generation farmer, agriculture is a tradition on both sides of Reagan O’Farrell’s family. While many in the family raise beef cattle, the Appleton City High School senior’s focus is on hog production.

She, along with other family members, not only raise but also process the animals on the farm, located in Agri-Ready-designated St. Clair County, Mo.

The family operation is unique in that it is equipped with a food science and butchering building they custom-designed for both beef and hog processing.

“The facility has a railing system,” O’Farrell says with a smile. “It is great for me because at 5-foot-3-inches [tall], I can’t quite handle a whole side of beef.”

Her experience on the family farm carried over to high school, helping design and build a food science lab for the Appleton City agricultural education department this year. The lab allows more students to study food science and provides space for meat evaluation with industrial size equipment and stainless-steel surfaces, O’Farrell explains. It also offers educational experiences for the community.

From farm to classroom

O’Farrell continued to build her knowledge of food science and preparation through her FFA Supervised Agriculture Experience project, where she and her sister operate a catering business.

The siblings purchase briskets, pork butts, ribs and more from the local butcher shop and prepare them in the family’s commercial kitchen for local events.

“We sell our concessions at consignment sales,” the Appleton City FFA member says. “I enjoy getting to talk to so many people from the community.”

AT HOME: Spending time caring for baby pigs is one of the best parts of being from a farm, Reagan O’Farrell says. Throughout her 4-H or FFA career, she’s developed an entrepreneurial spirit that led to a catering business.

A member of her high school barbecue team, O’Farrell says it is exciting to smoke 80 racks of ribs for local fundraisers. “My sister focuses on sides and desserts,” she adds, “but I am teaching her to handle the raw meat and start the charcoal since I will be leaving for college.”

But there is more to this young entrepreneur.

Breaking into legal field

With her sights set on a future career in agricultural law, O’Farrell participates in events that foster her ambition.

She is an alumnus of the HYMAX Academy sponsored by the Missouri FFA Association, the Missouri Agribusiness Academy sponsored by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, and the HYPE Academy sponsored by the Missouri Corn Growers Association.

This summer, O’Farrell traveled to Washington, D.C., for the first time to attend the National FFA Organization’s Washington Leadership Conference. She spent time visiting legislators and many others on Capitol Hill.

“I asked everyone so many questions because my goal is to work in Washington, D.C., someday. I asked everyone, ‘How do I get here?’” O’Farrell says. “WLC has been my favorite trip. Besides meeting so many people, it was surreal to stand inside the Lincoln Memorial and others and to consider the difference between that experience and having only seen those places in the pictures of textbooks all my life.”

Back at home, the high school senior is employed at a local attorney’s office as an administrative assistant, where she gains experience preparing documents and learns legal terminology.

Not done yet

O’Farrell is the oldest child of Adam and Jamie O’Farrell. For the 2024-25 activity year, she is serving as the president of her 4-H club and vice president of the 4-H Teen Council, as well as Appleton City FFA chapter president. She will compete on the FFA Ag Sales and Farm Management teams next spring. O’Farrell is involved in student council and National Honor Society.

“I am competitive, but I really want to experience as much as possible and meet as many people as I can,” she says. “I am focusing on talking to people, getting in front of people to speak and taking opportunities to hear what other people have to say. Hopefully, all these experiences will help me achieve my goal of working in agricultural law in D.C. And someday, I look forward to having my own farm wherever I end up calling home.”

She plans to attend Kansas State University next fall to earn a degree in agriculture economics on its pre-law track.

St. Clair County is one of 74 Missouri counties that have achieved an Agri-Ready county designation. The designation connects counties with Missouri Farmers Care to encourage and protect agriculture and secure it as a thriving component in the state’s economic future, working with local leaders to support a vibrant agricultural industry now and into the future.

Alexander writes from Olga, Mo.