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MSU alumni celebrate school's agriculture roots, future

September 7, 2016
<p>Veterinary medicine students Ashley Cooley and Matt Ford dance on Oct. 17, 2015 at the Harvest Fest event run by the Ecological Food and Farm Stewardship Club at the Student Organic Farm. The club focuses on local and sustainable agriculture and puts on events like Harvest Fest to engage the community. </p>

Veterinary medicine students Ashley Cooley and Matt Ford dance on Oct. 17, 2015 at the Harvest Fest event run by the Ecological Food and Farm Stewardship Club at the Student Organic Farm. The club focuses on local and sustainable agriculture and puts on events like Harvest Fest to engage the community.

Photo by Catherine Ferland | The State News

Enrollment in the college's programs has increased substantially in recent years and there’s no sign of slowing. The latest data from 2015 shows that the college’s enrollment is up for the fifth year in a row, according to the statistics from the CANR.

Mitch Bigelow, an alumnus who graduated with a degree in agribusiness in 2012, said the university’s history is still present on campus.

“Its core has always been focused in agriculture, and even 150 years later you can still feel that in the university,” Bigelow said.

Alexis Horton graduated with a degree in environmental studies and agriscience in 2015 and said part of accessing the college’s history is being a part of a larger community of students, professors and alumni.

“It’s an overall experience rather than just an education,” Horton said.

Alumna Elyse Walter, agriculture and natural resource communications 2006, had a similar opinion. 

“It’s a very family-oriented college — people are very dedicated and passionate about their fields of study, and you see that carry through well past when you walk across at graduation and receive your diploma,” Walter said.

For much of the university’s history, students were required to work on school farms in order to learn new methods of farming hands-on. 

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources courses emphasize the history of agriculture at MSU and in general, Walter said, but also its future, and “how we were going to be a part of that.”

Today, MSU is still considers itself a grassroots school.

“MSU is among land grant universities with colleges of agriculture ... that are re-making what agricultural colleges look like,” Patricia Norris, professor of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, said in an email statement.

Current and former students are adamant that College of Agriculture and Natural Resources degrees are critical to help Michigan face new agricultural and environmental challenges head-on. ch

MSU’s development of new technologies and College of Agriculture and Natural Resources programs has been a huge draw for students in recent years.

“When I originally applied to MSU, it was one of three universities in the states that offered a degree in sustainability,” environmental studies and sustainability junior Joshua Prusik said via email.

For Prusik, agriculture and natural resources education is more important now than ever before.

“Many people have referred to global climate change as being the greatest threat we face, and while I agree, I think that it also brings about the most potential for job creation and innovation that our world has seen since the industrial revolution,” he said.

Fisheries and wildlife junior Ashley Archer said she thinks new environmental challenges show the importance of education.

"(Programs like this) play a major role in preparing professionals to deal with environmental conflict resolution and providing practices for sustainable living — and that’s going to be really big in the future, facing a growing population,” Archer said. “That’s the role that the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources really plays.”

Alumna Sue Erhardt, who graduated with a degree in resource development in 1994, praised the college’s ability to provide students with “a wide berth of knowledge.” 

“Issues like climate change and growing food sustainably are all complicated issues,” she said.

Erhardt said an interdisciplinary approach helps her to understand the economics and science behind why people do what they do.

She continues to blend disciplines, as she now works to “educate people ages 2-82 on the benefits of trees” as director of education at Casey Trees, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.

Students don’t have to wait until graduation to get involved with nonprofits and activism, another draw for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Horton said the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources emphasizes student involvement in their fields. 

“They really do challenge us to be part of the process, to be a part of making change while you’re still a student,” she said.

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