GROWING THE GOODNESS
Blue Diamond Growers Scholarship Foundation Highlight: Morgan Oliveira
Born and raised in Hilmar, California, it was no surprise that Morgan Oliveira, who comes from a long line of dairy farmers, got involved in the agriculture industry. The Oliveira family has been
the end of her senior year of high school, Morgan had the opportunity to run for FFA state office, a rigorous process with eight rounds of interviews in front of panels of judges. After successfully passing through each round of interviews, Morgan was elected State Sentinel at the 2022 FFA State Conference, pushing her college start date back a year. As State Sentinel, Morgan’s primary responsibilities were outreach and education, meeting with students at conferences and schools, finding ways to connect with high school students, and getting them involved in FFA. Morgan helped to develop leadership curriculum for high school students, visited schools, shared agricultural information, and even hosted student workshops. Morgan’s experience with FFA, combined with her family’s background in Ag, helped shape her passion for agriculture. This past summer, Morgan interned at the Agricultural Council of California in Sacramento, an opportunity for Morgan to expand her perspective of the agricultural industry not only from the producer/ grower’s side, but also from the political side. Through the Ag Council, Morgan had the chance to learn about the ongoing political efforts aimed at helping the ag industry, from dairy farmers to almond farmers to cattle ranchers.
active in agriculture for decades, mostly as longtime dairy farmers but also recently breaking into the almond industry. Given her family’s involvement in agriculture, pursuing a career in the agriculture industry seemed like the natural thing to do, even as early as high school. As Morgan put it, “In Hilmar, you’re either into sports or you’re into Ag,” and Morgan isn’t into sports. In high school, Morgan became a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). At the encouragement of her teachers and advisors, she ran for a leadership position in FFA, going on to become the regional officer for the FFA’s Central Region, an area that stretches from Sacramento and Yolo Counties in the north to Merced County in the south. Through her FFA position and responsibilities, Morgan began meeting and talking with people and groups from outside her small Hilmar farming community. As she interacted with these people, Morgan came to understand the misconceptions and miscommunications surrounding the agricultural industry, realizing the need for individuals who can represent the agricultural industry accurately, clearly and responsibly. While in high school, Morgan applied for the Blue Diamond Growers Scholarship, which was created in 2008 to provide scholarships to support and foster advanced education for students in the almond growing regions of California. Morgan planned to attend Cal Poly, SLO to study Agricultural Communications. However, at
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ALMOND FACTS
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