HEATHER MULHOLLAND TALKS CITRUS ROOTS AND FUTURE FRUIT By Michelle Rivera, Senior Communications Manager
As a fourth-generation citrus grower, Heather Mulholland’s earliest memories are steeped in the scent of oranges and time spent picking fruit with her grandfather. “In the beginning, it was just for fun,” she said. “I’d go out and pick oranges just to eat them.” But even as a child, she understood that this wasn’t just a backyard orchard—it was a full-fledged farming operation that she watched grow and evolve over the years. Despite her upbringing and admiration for the farm, Heather didn’t intend to follow in her family’s footsteps. She studied political science and international relations in hopes of a career in international law or trade, attaining a bachelor’s degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a master’s at Cal State University, Fresno. “I wanted to work in business on a global scale,” she said. “Agriculture wasn’t the original plan.” After some time away, the pull of the land brought her back to California’s Central Valley—but entering the family business wasn’t easy. In fact, her father initially told her no. “The door was not open, so I had to break it down,” she said. Heather started at the bottom, cutting fruit samples on the packing house floor. It wasn’t long before necessity led her to managing the entire packing operation, where she spent the next seven years gaining firsthand experience. Today, Heather is Chief Operations Officer at Mulholland Citrus in Orange Cove, Calif. and serves
on the Western Growers Board of Directors. Of all the issues facing agriculture, labor remains the one most personal to her. “Many of our employees have dedicated their entire lives to working with us, and now they face a climate of fear,” she said, highlighting the impact of current immigration policies and the prevailing uncertainty surrounding enforcement. “These individuals are integral members of our community. They coach youth sports teams, attend church and have children enrolled in local schools. They deserve the right to live without fear.” Heather is also one of a growing number of women in agriculture stepping into leadership roles. Heather was among the first women to graduate from Western Growers Women, a leadership program that provides pathways for women to achieve the highest levels of leadership within the agriculture industry. Heather described the program as a “fabulous opportunity to connect with other women.” Her favorite part? The mentoring aspect. “I participated as a mentor and as a mentee and found them both to be equally rewarding,” she said. During her career so far, Heather said she has had incredible mentors, both men and women, who have supported her. “Being one of the few women in the room has become the norm, and it no longer feels unusual,” she said. Mulholland Citrus is distinguished by its tightly-knit family structure. Heather, working alongside her father Tom, is the sole family member responsible for the day- to-day operations. She acknowledges that it’s rare for a successful operation to be carried forward by just one person in each generation—something that makes her role all the more meaningful. Heather takes great pride in continuing that legacy. That pride now extends to the next generation. Her nine-year-old daughter, once her constant shadow on the farm, now dreams of being an engineer and designing robots—possibly for agriculture. “She’s always full of creative ideas,” Heather said. “You never know, she might just design the next game-changing ag robot.” Despite the challenges growers often face, Heather remains cautiously optimistic about the future of California agriculture. “There’s always going to be a need and desire for healthy, nutritious food,” she said. “I just hope we can keep producing it here in California. We need policies that make it easier to do business in this state so the next generation has a chance.”
29 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com September | October 2025
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