Across rural California, the next generation isn’t just watching from the sidelines. They’re already leading, advocating and carving out space for their voices in an industry they care deeply about.
A voice on the block
Nineteen-year-old Grayson Haydn-Myer is one such voice in agriculture—literally. Haydn-Myer has been auctioneering since she was 9 years old and has set her sights on becoming the first female world champion livestock auctioneer, all while staying involved in the family operation.
Haydn-Myer was born into the cattle industry, raised on her family’s cow-calf and yearling operation in Oakdale, CA. But her path to auctioneering didn’t begin in the sale barn—it took root in a fifth-grade school classroom.
That year, Haydn-Myer’s class was tasked with finding classroom jobs to earn the Monopoly money necessary to pay “rent” on their desk each month—a fun lesson in money management for the middle schoolers. Haydn-Myer had her eye on the class mailman gig, mostly so she could get a peek into other classrooms. But another option kept tugging at her: class auctioneer. Her dad nudged her toward the latter.
“He told me, ‘Well, why don’t you try to be the class auctioneer, and I’ll get you lessons with a local gentleman,’” Haydn-Myer recalled. So each Friday, armed with her budding chant, she led the classroom auction where students bid on candy, board games and small prizes. What started as a school assignment quickly became something she genuinely enjoyed.
By 12, Haydn-Myer’s interest had grown enough that her dad signed her up for an auctioneering seminar at Turlock Livestock Auction Yard (TLAY), taught by none other than industry icons Ralph Wade, Max Olvera and Johnny Rodgers.
“Little did I know that this would end up becoming my full-time career, and what I pursue now,” she said.
As the youngest in the room by several years, if not decades, Haydn-Myer absorbed every word from the three-day-long Champion’s Chant seminar. “They teach you pretty much everything that they know about livestock auctioneering, because all three of them are world champion livestock auctioneers,” she said.
In the time between that seminar and her 16th birthday, she picked up fundraiser auctions and charity events whenever she could, slowly building confidence behind the microphone.
Once she turned 16 and was armed with a driver’s license, Haydn-Myer went back to TLAY to fulfill a promise Olvera had made years earlier: selling butcher cows at the auction yard. After a full year of proving herself as a teen auctioneer, she earned her next break. Jake Parnell of California Livestock Market (CLM) invited her to step up and try her hand at selling feeder cattle.
Today, Haydn-Myer sells at both TLAY and CLM each week, while still carving out weekends for fundraiser auctions. Through her business, Grayson Haydn-Myer Auctioneering & Services, she has the opportunity to sell about 45 to 50 charity and nonprofit fundraiser events across California and into Nevada.
Although she now has years of real-world experience under her belt, Haydn-Myer still approaches each auction as a learning opportunity. “I think there’s always room for improvement, and that somebody can always learn and do better, so I will still go to seminars because I always want to see what I can do to improve,” she said.
That drive to learn is especially important because no two auctions are the same, especially when comparing livestock auctions versus fundraising events.
“When it comes to the livestock, it’s super fast paced, and you’re dealing with buyers that are there every week,” she said.” They probably go to five, six sale yards a week, so they know exactly what the cows are bringing, how much they’re willing to spend, and they want to get through the cattle as quickly as possible, because we might be selling thousands in a day.”
The pace and pressure of a livestock sale couldn’t be more different from the energy of a fundraiser auction.
“It’s totally different when I do a fundraiser auction, because I’m dealing with people who have possibly never been to a live auction before, or they only go to a live auction maybe once a year at a fundraiser,” she said.
Because of these differences, she’s learned to adapt her chant for each setting: clear and precise for livestock sales, energetic and engaging for fundraisers.
“Something that most people don’t realize is that to be a good auctioneer, you have to be a good human,” she said. “People can tell when somebody is disingenuous and if they don’t have their priorities for the cause.”
It’s not easy making a name for yourself as a young auctioneer in a traditionally male-dominated industry. “I’ve gotten my fair share of schooling, but at the end of the day, it’s just because they want me to do a good job,” she said.
In the long run, Haydn-Myer knows it’s her character that will carry her the distance. “I always try to be a good, upfront person with all of the buyers,” she said. “I try to do them right. And I think that they can tell how hard I work to do them a good job, along with the consigners. And I think that reflects back in how I get treated.”
For those wanting to throw their hat into the sale ring, Haydn-Myer encourages them to stay focused and stay dedicated. “This is an industry that’s very rewarding if you put in the effort,” she said, “and you’re going to get out of it what you put into it.”
She recommends looking for a mentor and learning everything you can from them. “Find a mentor that is specifically in the path or avenue that you want to go down, whether that’s livestock or fundraising or whatever that might be,” she said. “Find those mentors and do everything you can to have them help you.”
Even as she credits the mentors who shaped her, Haydn-Myer is steadily building a career, and a voice, that’s entirely her own.
To keep up to date with Haydn-Myer’s latest auctioneering happenings or see a glimpse into her ranch life, follow her on social media at @graysonhaydynmyer.
A voice for the industry
While Haydn-Myer has found her voice in the sale ring, another young woman in Northern California is learning to use hers in a different way—through education, outreach and grassroots beef advocacy.
Laura Gregory and her family manage a small farm in Cottonwood, CA, that includes everything from commercial cattle to horses and goats to ducks. Her great grandparents raised registered Red Angus, and while they are no longer in business, she would like to one day raise Red Angus of her own and continue their legacy.
She grew up active in agriculture, raising pigs and steers for the county fair every year. Now, Gregory is an 18-year-old student at Shasta College, working toward dual degrees in nursing and agriculture sciences while staying involved in her college’s ag leadership program and volunteering in her community. Upon completing her associate degrees, Gregory hopes to transfer to California State University, Chico, to receive her bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Her path toward advocacy clicked into place after she began attending Shasta County CattleWomen meetings with her great-grandmother. This is where she discovered her love of advocacy and promoting the beef industry.
“I started talking to the president of the cattlewomen group and trying to find out as much information as I could about the beef industry,” Gregory told WLJ. “I did the Masters of Beef Advocacy course, just to try to learn more.”
Curiosity became action when she entered the Shasta County Beef Ambassador Competition in 2025, a long-running local program tied to the American National CattleWomen’s national contest. Each year, contestants compete for the titles of beef ambassador and beef princess.
Contestants study beef nutrition, food safety, byproducts, economics and environmental stewardship while preparing for interviews, consumer conversations and a written issue response. Judges look for poise, confidence and the ability to communicate complex topics clearly.
For Gregory, the competition became an outlet for something she felt strongly about: showing people who actually raises America’s beef.
“A lot of people don’t understand this is how people make their living,” she said. “I feel that it’s a misconception that it’s not actual families raising these animals. That’s how we feed America.”
After earning the title of senior beef ambassador at the county level, Gregory advanced to the California CattleWomen state contest. There, she completed three industry-themed essay questions, sat for a virtual interview and delivered a 10-minute presentation on cattle identification. Her efforts paid off, and she was named the 2025 California beef ambassador and awarded $1,000 for the achievement. She began her one-year term in June 2025 and will pass the torch during the 2026 state contest.
For Gregory, speaking to the public about the cattle industry comes naturally, and she has carved out a strong presence in her community through a wide range of hands-on beef advocacy events. As part of the local “beef crew” alongside the junior beef ambassador and beef princess, she’s taken agriculture straight to the places where kids and families gather. For example, at the Cottonwood Community Library, the trio taught young readers about cattle nutrition and read books about ranch life to spark early curiosity about the industry.
Their biggest audience came during Shasta County’s Farm City Day, where they stood before 400 fourth graders from across the region to walk them through cattle feed, vaccinations and even basic beef cuts using a cutout model.
Beyond events, she’s leaning into Ag in the Classroom programs and hopes to expand her outreach. What keeps her energized, she says, is seeing how eager kids are to learn.
“We got so many questions when we gave the presentation to the fourth graders, and it was really cool to see them get so involved,” Gregory said.
She also makes it a point to engage with older students, fielding questions on her college campus about the industry and sharing advocacy when she can. She recalled being surprised talking with a peer who was completely unfamiliar with the concept of how food is grown.
“It was very eye-opening and made me realize how we really need to be in schools and at different events educating people,” she said, “because these people are going to be voters one day.”
Her tips on helping to bridge that gap? “Get them fascinated with agriculture early on,” she said. “We need to be in there, involved in the community.”
For those feeling drawn to advocacy, Gregory encourages taking the first step through a local cattlewomen or cattlemen chapter.
“We do all kinds of things in the community,” she said. “We’re always out there doing something that serves them, and they know they can come and talk to us and ask questions.”
Young leaders like Haydn-Myer and Gregory represent a new generation eager to step up and guide the future of the cattle industry. Their goals are simple: stay involved in the industry and help be the voices for the people and families who help feed the country, and the world.
