Maggie DeMers

Rocking Arrow Ranch

Maggie DeMers is from Colome, South Dakota, where she grew up on her family’s generational cattle ranch, raising registered Simmental and Angus seedstock cattle. Agriculture has always been a central part of her life, and some of Maggie’s earliest memories involve ranch life and cattle. As a child, her mom would often place her in a high chair by the window, allowing her to gaze out over the pasture and watch the cows for hours.

Maggie is currently a junior at South Dakota State University, majoring in Animal Science and Agricultural Science, with minors in Agricultural Business and Farm & Ranch Management. This summer, she will intern at the Rocking Arrow Ranch near Valentine, Nebraska.

She eagerly applied for the Sandhills Ranch Internship Program to learn how different ranching operations run. Maggie understands that every ranch operates uniquely, regardless of whether they are located just a few miles or hours apart, even if they share the same end goals. She is particularly excited to explore various methods and approaches to common challenges. Additionally, she hopes to broaden her skills by operating hay equipment, meet new people, and expand her professional network.

Maggie also aims to deepen her understanding of ranching in the Nebraska Sandhills and develop practical skills to take back to her family's ranch. After college, she aspires to return to the ranch and help carry it into future generations.

Outside of ranch work and her classes, Maggie keeps herself busy with various interests and activities. She has been playing guitar since the eighth grade and currently performs as part of a worship team for her campus ministry. If she could spend a day with anyone in the industry, it would be Temple Grandin, to learn how she navigated the livestock industry as a woman and her approach to working with cattle. And if Maggie were cooking for a ranch crew, they would enjoy one of her family favorites: her grandma’s homemade goulash.