Several student farmers received scholarships at the event, such as horticulture senior Charles Defever.

“The chefs tried to use as much food directly from the farm as possible,” Defever said. “Most of the herbs and vegetables came right from our farm and the pork came right from our pigs.”

The gala had record attendance on Sept. 29, with more than 270 people at the event. Tickets were $125 each, and proceeds from ticket sales went to this year’s scholarships, including the Cyde Piece Scholarship received by Defever, and the Student Organic Farm Scholarship Fund, Vice President for Auxiliary Services Roger Merrifield said.

“Approximately $30,000 came in from guest tickets, and the additional $50,000 this year came in the form of donations to build a permanent barn on the site,” Merrifield said.

The barn would offer storage space, a dry place for students to learn and a location for special events in the future.

The gala was also an opportunity to call awareness to the Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment program, or RISE, Merrifield said.

RISE students live together on a floor in Bailey Hall and take an environmental studies specialization. Many program members work or volunteer in the Bailey GREENhouse or on the Student Organic Farm.

“The MSU Student Organic Farm is a testimony to our institutional commitment to the Land Grant mission,” said RISE Director Laurie Thorp in a statement. “This farm and the scholarships you provide keep that important social contract alive.”

Defever said scholarships offer otherwise reluctant students the chance to learn about farming.

“It’s important to me that there are donors willing to support student agriculture at our university,” Defever said. “If it wasn’t for that support, I might never have decided to change my major to horticulture.”