A generous gift from a local farmer and businessman is supplying ASU with a new chance to support students of the Morrison School of Agribusiness and Resource Management.
The Vegetable Growers Association gave a gift of $65,150 to the east campus school on behalf of themselves and M.O. Best, a prominent Arizona farmer and businessman.
Best began farming in Arizona in the 1930s, feeding cattle and farming vegetables on 1,000 acres in the area surrounding 51st Avenue and McDowell Road. He also founded the Crystal Ice Company, which helped him become prominent in local business as well as Arizona agriculture.
Best had given a monetary gift to the VGA upon his passing in 1956 for the purpose of educating youth in the field of agriculture. The VGA invested the money, which then funded the gift given to ASU East's Morrison School.
The gift will be used to fund scholarships that will support students studying agribusiness, marketing and food management.
"The Board decided it would be best to use the money for scholarships for students pursuing a degree in an agriculture-related field," said AnnaMarie Aja, the arizona member relations coordinator for the Western Grower's Association, an association that represents vegetable, fruit and nut growers in Arizona and California.
Aja said that ASU East's Morrison School was deserving of the gift because of the level of education they provide.
"[They have] continued to improve and advance degree programs offered to students by focusing on hands-on learning and courses where students can apply their knowledge in real world situations," Aja said.
Aja said she is also impressed by the way the Morrison School and the community work together.
"They continue to find ways to link businesses with the students," Aja said, "creating a mutually beneficial relationship."
Kellie Adams, an agribusiness freshman on east campus said she was excited to hear about the gift from the VGA.
"It shows the public is interested," said Adams. "It also shows that the jobs are important and they are needed to promote agriculture even more."
Aja agreed, saying that public education is necessary to increase awareness about the importance of agriculture.
"With so much urbanization, the agriculture in this state has moved to rural areas where it is not seen by most Arizona citizens," she said.
An example of this need for knowledge, she said, is that "90 percent of the lettuce in North America during winter months comes from Yuma, Arizona. Most people don't even know that Arizona produces lettuce."
Adams hopes that the gift not only promotes the Morrison School and its work, but that it promotes donating to local programs in general.
"Hopefully other companies will follow suit," said Adams. "Find a school that interests them and help promote their programs."
The VGA also funded an equal gift to University of Arizona's College of Agriculture.
Reach the reporter at rachel.hawkinson@asu.edu.
