Micayla Christopher named 2012 Beef Queen

Winneshiek County's 2012 Beef Queen is Micayla Christopher, while the 2012 Beef Princess is Chandler Luzum.

Christopher is a 16 year old Decorah High School junior who is the daughter of Michael and DeAnn Christopher of rural Decorah.  She is active in the Decorah FFA, where she has been awarded best freshman record book; has been elected as the upcoming reporter; serves as the Ag Career Skills chairperson; and has participated in Experience the Action contest.

Micayla is on the A Honor Roll at Decorah High School and participates in volleyball, basketball, softball and track.

Micayla is also a 8 year member of the Hesper Helpers 4-H Club, where she has served as President and Vice President.  She is also a member of the 4-H Senior County Council.

At the 2011 Winneshiek County Fair Micayla showed the reserve champion heavyweight steer and the Reserve Supreme Champion breeding beef heifer.  Micayla's beef operation consists of all of the heifers she has shown in the past years--7 stock cows, 2 show heifers and 2 show steers. This past year she raised and sold her first bull. Micayla's family also grows hay, corn and soybeans.

Chandler Luzum is a 16-year-old juniopr at Valley of Elgin who is the daughter of Dale and Kelly Luzum.  She is a National Honor Society Member, A honor roll student and a varsity letter winner in golf, softball and track.  In 2011 she was a member of the Valley girls golf team that qualified for state.  She received an excellence in academic achievement award in softball and a distinguished academic achievement award in golf.

Chandler also participates in FFA, where she has received her green hand degree and participated in fruit sales and green hand test. She attended district and state convention and was on the 2011 ag communications team earning a fifth place state gold.  Luzum's biggest accomplishment is winning all four divisions of showmanship at the Winneshiek County Fair.

She lives on a 200-acre century farm one mile south of Festina. The Luzums raise corn, soybeans, alfalfa and oats. The family owns a 40-head cow/calf operation where they finish all their fat cattle.