An open mind to listen to others’ advice may steer you in the direction of a lifetime. Taking others’ advice led Nicole Morris to become a dairy science instructor at Modesto Junior College (MJC) as well as to grow her social media platform beyond Instagram and into TikTok. Morris juggles those passions along with running JNM Dairy with her husband, Johnny.
“I started using social media 10 to 12 years ago when Instagram first came out,” Nicole Morris says. “I wanted to be able to connect with consumers and share our story.”
Being an agricultural educator and dairy farmer allow Nicole to advocate through her social media platform called “themilkdiva.”
Nicole was passionate to find better ways of sharing agriculture with consumers, especially within the dairy industry. Her passion is the driving force behind her career and life aspirations when working with other agriculturalists and inspiring the next generation.
“I am not your typical social media content creator,” Nicole says. “It is more of me sharing when we are doing something really cool on the farm and wanting to share it with people.”
About a year ago, Nicole purchased a drone to get aerial footage of harvesting and tractors in full view. She wanted to give a different perspective to her social media, she says.
“I started with social media because I loved photography,” Nicole says. “If you go back to my original posts from 10 years ago, every single picture on my Instagram was taken with a professional camera.”
Becoming a social media influencer was a chance for Nicole to combine her photography and agriculture passions through creativity, she says.
“Capturing photos of my kids on the farm or a calf then captioning the post with educational information was always my intention,” Nicole says.
Now, Nicole has new goals and aspirations for her platform. She hopes to grow her following on TikTok and gain more brand sponsorships. Her social media motivation comes from the success of her Instagram platform by her posting reels to catch consumers attention, she adds.
“I am looking for a creative outlet and a little bit of side cash that I could take my family on a vacation with,” Nicole says. “It is never going to replace my career because I absolutely love teaching, and I love being a generational farmer.”
“Her social media is fun,” Johnny Morris says. “If she had more time, I think she could be successful in social media.”
Everyone who knows Nicole can agree she is hard working, Johnny says, and she always looks for ways to improve on any task in life.
“She could give 100 percent, but she wants 110 percent,” Johnny says. “Whether it is teaching a class or getting an extra gallon out of a cow, there is just no limit. Her strongest capability is that she wants to do better than her last thing. She never settles on being just great.”
Johnny sees firsthand the hard work his wife puts into her hobbies but says the days starting JNM dairy in 2012 have been the best days of their lives.
“I love getting to work with my wife,” Johnny says. “Not everyone is lucky enough to work with their spouse. I cherish the late nights we have together out on the farm.”
Nicole carries her advocacy into being a dairy science instructor, just as she does in social media and dairy farming.
“She supports every kid with their dream,” says Mykel Mull, an MJC dairy intern. “She supports anyone, even if it has nothing to do with the dairy industry.”
Johnny has heard firsthand from others how she is inside and outside the classroom.
“She is a great teacher,” Johnny says. “She kills it, and she is here for years to come. I love the way she connects with students.”
Nicole Morris on the first day of school to kick off 16 years of teaching agriculture. Image provided by Nicole Morris.
Nicole also connects with students through coaching the MJC dairy judging team. She travels all over the country with students, taking them to different contests and visiting multiple dairies.
“I got to scratch half the things off my bucket list because Nicole Morris pushed me to do dairy judging,” Mull says. “I would like to thank her for seeing that potential in me and pushing me to be a part of the team.”
The relationship Nicole has with her students is professional but with a family-friendly feel, Mull says. Mull adds she admires how Nicole can juggle her responsibilities at MJC, her dairy and with her family.
“She is always determined,” Mull says. “I would describe her as tenacious.”
Nicole says her determination stems from her childhood growing up on a dairy.
“Any farm kid who grows up working with their parents works really hard,” Nicole says. “My parents have instilled in me to be driven and motivated.”
A lesson Nicole reminds others about is that no matter your age, a spot in agriculture is always open for you.
“We need more people in the industry who will continue to promote and advocate for all farmers and ranchers,” Nicole says. “We are so special to be living in a country that provides so much food and commodities for the rest of the world, but we need people to stay engaged.”
To keep students engaged in agriculture, she spends a lot of time listening to them about their life goals, she says. This has been a great way for her to continue to inspire others in the agriculture world, she adds.
“I will miss the afternoon chats about life in her office or out at the dairy unit,” Mull says, “or even going out to get tacos.”
The 2024 Modesto Junior College Dairy Judging team bring home the National Post-Secondary Dairy Judging Championship at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. This marked the 10th National Championship for Modesto Junior College, making them the most victorious post-secondary college. The team included (left to right): Coach Nicole Morris; Teresa Sousa, Turlock, California; Logan Silveira, Chowchilla, California (seventh High Individual Overall); Lauryn Young, Buhl, Idaho (first High Individual Overall); Jon Chapman, Turlock, California (eighth High Individual Overall); and Dulce Campos-Rodriguez, Atwater, California. Image provided by Nicole Morris.
Nicole strongly believes in reminding everyone to have the mindset to always chase your dream. It may take a couple of tries, she adds, but do not give up on working in agriculture.
“Know where your food comes from,” Nicole says. “Talk to farmers and ranchers, speak the truth, share the truth and let's help keep our food system safe.”
