“All of the funds go directly to MSU student scholarships for the Organic Farmer Training Program,” said Laurie Thorp, director for the Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment.

The program is a nine-month training program on year-round organic farming at the Student Organic Farm.

The gala sold out of all 250 available reservations prior to the event, Thorp said. The event was held outside in tents at the Student Organic Farm, 3291 College Road.

Menu items included herb-seared beef carpaccio with pea shoot salad and Michigan grape vinaigrette and a dessert of cornmeal brown butter cake made with MSU Student Organic Farm blueberries and strawberry rose geranium ice cream.

“It’s a night to celebrate and honor (the students) to committing their lives to being farmers,” she said. “It’s not something that we celebrate very often — the people that grow our food.”

Last year’s event raised around $24,000 , said Vennie Gore, assistant vice-president for Residential and Hospitality Services. Gore said he hoped to make at least that much at this year’s gala.

Supporting and encouraging the next generation of farming students is very important, Gore said.

“We’re trying to help these young farmers 20-30 years from now create this industry for our state, and also for our country, that allows them to produce food supplies locally,” he said.

The meal at the gala was composed entirely of organic products grown in Michigan.

Thorp said roughly 25 percent of the food served at the event was directly from the MSU Student Organic Farm.

“I would say there’s items on each of the courses from the farm (that) has been grown for the event,” Thorp said.

Horticulture junior Rachel Cross , who will be receiving one of the training program scholarships from the farm, decided to pursue a future in agriculture for environmental reasons.

“If you want to have a positive effect on the environment, one of the best things you can do is influence how people are eating and what people are eating,” Cross said.

Cross echoed Gore’s statements about the value of promoting and supporting young farmers.

“(The gala is) great, especially for the people who are in the organic farming training program here at the farm,” she said. “It’s showing that (the food) can be used this way because it’s a big special dinner, but it’s all organic and local — that’s important.”

When the event was created three years ago, the goal was to raise $100,000, Gore said. In the coming years Gore has even bigger plans as the event grows.

“What we’d love to do down the road is get to this point where we have an endowment, so the farm is sustainable by operations, so we can keep the tuition down for students and keep the farm going,” he said. “That’s our ultimate goal.”