Next Gen Ag is a year long series that will run on our In The Field blog, Facebook page, Instagram page and Twitter account. Each Wednesday, we will highlight a young person pursuing a career in the agriculture industry. Individuals can be in high school, college, or recent graduates who are working to establish a career in agriculture. Stay tuned each week to meet some of our industry’s future leaders!
Growing up on the farm, Morgan Walker never thought she would spend her career in the industry. However, life has a way of bringing us back home. As a rising Senior at N.C. State University, Morgan is not only pursuing a career in the agriculture industry but is diving deep into the world of farming and horticulture on her family farm and other internship/job opportunities.
Walker Farms in Cleveland County raises beef cattle as well as grows a variety of produce, including tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, zucchini, and sugar cube cantaloupe. “My entire family grew up in agriculture, and I’ve been on the farm all my life,” Morgan said. “I remember following my grandparents and parents around the farm and learning how to care for the cattle from them. I also learned how to grow produce, especially tomatoes, from them.” Morgan would also help on the produce stand at the farm throughout her childhood years, where she learned how to network with people and take pride in the products her family farm produced. Although she grew up in the industry, Morgan was adamant for many years that she would not spend her life or career in agriculture. “Never say never,” Morgan joked. It wasn’t until she began taking horticulture classes in college that she truly started to fall in love with the industry and see her path taking a turn.
At the start of her college years, Morgan entered N.C. State University with sights set on an engineering major with a horticulture minor. “A few years into the program I really started to enjoy my horticulture classes and growing plants at my apartment,” she said. “I also continued to help my parents on our family farm during the summer months, and even went with them to the Downtown Hickory Farmers Market to sell our produce. All of those pieces together changed my path from engineering to agriculture.”
As a rising Senior, Morgan is currently pursuing a major in Agronomy with minors in horticulture and agriculture business. In addition to her classes, Morgan is also a member of N.C. State’s Soybean Extension Program. “I have been with the program for over a year now and I have loved every minute,” she said. “We collect research from soybean plots across the state, analyze the data, and give it to farmers to help them with their crop yields. I’ve packed seeds, quantified seed, taken herbicide inventory and so much more. I love the program, the field days they offer, and the experience/connections I get to have.” After she graduates from N.C. State University, she hopes to pursue a graduate degree in Agronomy before starting her full-time career in the industry.
With her hard-work ethic, communication skills and passion for the industry, Morgan plans to pursue a career either in N.C. Extension or at a nursery. “Ideally, I would love to own my own nursery operation one day, but that’s years down the road,” she said. “Although I don’t know exactly where the future will take me right now, I do know that I want to make a difference in the agriculture industry through my career in the field.” Morgan also hopes to one day reopen the roadside stand at her family farm that was operated by her grandparents years ago. “I think it would be so rewarding to see that stand open again, not just for my family and the products that we grow, but also for the history that it holds,” she said.
Through the years, Morgan has fallen in love with a variety of aspects of the agriculture industry, but her favorite part is networking with people. “The agriculture industry is so diverse and full of smart, dedicated, hard-working people,” she said. “The people across this industry can teach you a lot if you’re willing to listen.” In addition to building connections and growing plants/produce, Morgan also enjoys educating others about the importance of agriculture in our state and around the world. “Our whole world literally revolves around agriculture,” she said. “From the drinks and foods that we enjoy to the basketball court at Reynolds Coliseum and the turf grass on the football field, agriculture is a central part of what we do and the things we enjoy every single day. I hope to spend my life continuing to teach others why they should invest in this powerful industry.”
For those seeking a career in the agriculture industry, Morgan reminds you to plan ahead and persevere through the hard times. “Agriculture rarely goes as planned because there are a lot of central factors that cannot be controlled, like the weather,” she said. “So, it’s always important to have a plan B, and even a plan C. However, agriculture is a very rewarding field to be in, so embrace the challenges when they come and allow them to make you stronger.” We are so proud of Morgan and all that she is doing to further the future of N.C. Agriculture. We look forward to seeing where the future takes you Morgan! #NCAgriculture
