Olivia Gonzales of Paso Robles, Calif., competed against 37 other college students or recent graduates to win the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 2010 Collegiate Discussion Meet.
Gonzales nabbed the crown Feb. 21 during the AFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference in Tulsa, Okla.
The final discussion topic was, “How can we continue to bridge the gap between farmers/ranchers and lawmakers in order to have an influence in the changing political environment?”
Gonzales won a $2,500 scholarship from the CHS Foundation.
Gonzales, a student at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, is studying ag communications in addition to running the family’s dry-farmed walnut business. The family raises cattle and owns a wine-tasting room.
