Mid-Michigan farmer lauded for lifetime of service
Mid-Michigan farmer lauded for lifetime of service
Mid-Michigan farmer lauded for lifetime of service
Mid-Michigan farmer lauded for lifetime of service
Mid-Michigan farmer lauded for lifetime of service
Dave Morris receives MFB Distinguished Service to Ag Award
GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 4, 2008 — Few people can say they have created a legacy that will impact Michigan agriculture for generations to come, but Dave Morris can. In every facet of his life whether it be farming, public service or philanthropy, the Grand Ledge farmer has touched the lives of thousands.
In recognition of his unequivocal leadership and vision, the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) presented Morris with MFB’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service to Agriculture (DSA) Award, during an awards ceremony Dec. 4 at MFB’s 89th Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids
The DSA Award recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the state’s agriculture industry. DSA Award recipients are selected by the MFB Board of Directors based on nominations submitted by county Farm Bureaus and representatives of the agriculture industry.
“To say that Dave Morris has made an impression on Michigan agriculture is an understatement. He’s more than just set the bar high for current and future farm leaders; he is the bar,” said MFB President Wayne H. Wood.
At the roots, Morris is a savvy businessman who has grown the family farm from 245 acres to more than 1,600 acres and expanded his cattle feeding operation to more than 1,000 head. But he is best known for his long-term relationships with Farm Bureau and Michigan State University (MSU).
Morris joined Farm Bureau in 1950 and quickly became involved with the Clinton County Farm Bureau. He was appointed to the MFB Board of Directors in 1963 and served on the board for a decade. He presided over the Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company when the existing Farm Bureau Center in Lansing debuted in 1971.
Wood says the insight and wisdom that Morris shared throughout the Farm Bureau organization is best illustrated in an article from a 1964 issue of the Michigan Farm News, MFB’s member newspaper. In the article Morris is quoted as saying, “We farmers have to consider what people need, want, and are willing to pay for. That’s the American way of doing business and I hope it never changes.”
Morris’s contributions to MSU run deeper. His willingness to adopt innovative practices, test new agricultural methods and mentor young farmers has made his farm an invaluable teaching center and “virtual laboratory” for MSU students and faculty, as well as the greater agricultural community served by the land-grant university.
Likewise, Morris has been a tireless advocate for agricultural programs of the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), MSU Extension and the Michigan Agriculture Experiment Station.
“His long-term relationship with MSU has led to farm operations being available and
accessible to teaching faculty and researchers, resulting in new knowledge and applied learning,” said Wood. “And his engagement with MSU agriculture education leaders has resulted in curriculum and teaching methods that are relevant and cutting-edge.”
Above and beyond this, Morris has pledged significant financial resources to MSU in the form of endowments which will have tremendous impact on the future of Michigan livestock research, local government policy and agriculture.
“While Dave’s many years of contribution and leadership are worthy of recognition, it his vision for the future of agriculture in Michigan that is truly impressive,” wrote MSU CANR Dean Jeffrey Armstrong in a letter supporting Morris’s nomination for the DSA Award.
“Clearly, Dave Morris’s dedication to the future of Michigan agriculture and the broader community is apparent in his life’s work, his many civic contributions and his generous financial contributions that have – and will have – a tremendous positive impact on our ability to serve the needs of the people of Michigan,” said Armstrong.
MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families.
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Editor’s Note: Visit http://www.michfb.com/annual for photos from the awards ceremony. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Media Support Services Manager Jill Corrin at (800) 292-2680, ext. 6585.
Dave Morris receives MFB Distinguished Service to Ag Award
GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 4, 2008 — Few people can say they have created a legacy that will impact Michigan agriculture for generations to come, but Dave Morris can. In every facet of his life whether it be farming, public service or philanthropy, the Grand Ledge farmer has touched the lives of thousands.
In recognition of his unequivocal leadership and vision, the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) presented Morris with MFB’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service to Agriculture (DSA) Award, during an awards ceremony Dec. 4 at MFB’s 89th Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids
The DSA Award recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the state’s agriculture industry. DSA Award recipients are selected by the MFB Board of Directors based on nominations submitted by county Farm Bureaus and representatives of the agriculture industry.
“To say that Dave Morris has made an impression on Michigan agriculture is an understatement. He’s more than just set the bar high for current and future farm leaders; he is the bar,” said MFB President Wayne H. Wood.
At the roots, Morris is a savvy businessman who has grown the family farm from 245 acres to more than 1,600 acres and expanded his cattle feeding operation to more than 1,000 head. But he is best known for his long-term relationships with Farm Bureau and Michigan State University (MSU).
Morris joined Farm Bureau in 1950 and quickly became involved with the Clinton County Farm Bureau. He was appointed to the MFB Board of Directors in 1963 and served on the board for a decade. He presided over the Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company when the existing Farm Bureau Center in Lansing debuted in 1971.
Wood says the insight and wisdom that Morris shared throughout the Farm Bureau organization is best illustrated in an article from a 1964 issue of the Michigan Farm News, MFB’s member newspaper. In the article Morris is quoted as saying, “We farmers have to consider what people need, want, and are willing to pay for. That’s the American way of doing business and I hope it never changes.”
Morris’s contributions to MSU run deeper. His willingness to adopt innovative practices, test new agricultural methods and mentor young farmers has made his farm an invaluable teaching center and “virtual laboratory” for MSU students and faculty, as well as the greater agricultural community served by the land-grant university.
Likewise, Morris has been a tireless advocate for agricultural programs of the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), MSU Extension and the Michigan Agriculture Experiment Station.
“His long-term relationship with MSU has led to farm operations being available and
accessible to teaching faculty and researchers, resulting in new knowledge and applied learning,” said Wood. “And his engagement with MSU agriculture education leaders has resulted in curriculum and teaching methods that are relevant and cutting-edge.”
Above and beyond this, Morris has pledged significant financial resources to MSU in the form of endowments which will have tremendous impact on the future of Michigan livestock research, local government policy and agriculture.
“While Dave’s many years of contribution and leadership are worthy of recognition, it his vision for the future of agriculture in Michigan that is truly impressive,” wrote MSU CANR Dean Jeffrey Armstrong in a letter supporting Morris’s nomination for the DSA Award.
“Clearly, Dave Morris’s dedication to the future of Michigan agriculture and the broader community is apparent in his life’s work, his many civic contributions and his generous financial contributions that have – and will have – a tremendous positive impact on our ability to serve the needs of the people of Michigan,” said Armstrong.
MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families.
-30-
Editor’s Note: Visit http://www.michfb.com/annual for photos from the awards ceremony. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Media Support Services Manager Jill Corrin at (800) 292-2680, ext. 6585.
Dave Morris receives MFB Distinguished Service to Ag Award
GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 4, 2008 — Few people can say they have created a legacy that will impact Michigan agriculture for generations to come, but Dave Morris can. In every facet of his life whether it be farming, public service or philanthropy, the Grand Ledge farmer has touched the lives of thousands.
In recognition of his unequivocal leadership and vision, the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) presented Morris with MFB’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service to Agriculture (DSA) Award, during an awards ceremony Dec. 4 at MFB’s 89th Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids
The DSA Award recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the state’s agriculture industry. DSA Award recipients are selected by the MFB Board of Directors based on nominations submitted by county Farm Bureaus and representatives of the agriculture industry.
“To say that Dave Morris has made an impression on Michigan agriculture is an understatement. He’s more than just set the bar high for current and future farm leaders; he is the bar,” said MFB President Wayne H. Wood.
At the roots, Morris is a savvy businessman who has grown the family farm from 245 acres to more than 1,600 acres and expanded his cattle feeding operation to more than 1,000 head. But he is best known for his long-term relationships with Farm Bureau and Michigan State University (MSU).
Morris joined Farm Bureau in 1950 and quickly became involved with the Clinton County Farm Bureau. He was appointed to the MFB Board of Directors in 1963 and served on the board for a decade. He presided over the Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company when the existing Farm Bureau Center in Lansing debuted in 1971.
Wood says the insight and wisdom that Morris shared throughout the Farm Bureau organization is best illustrated in an article from a 1964 issue of the Michigan Farm News, MFB’s member newspaper. In the article Morris is quoted as saying, “We farmers have to consider what people need, want, and are willing to pay for. That’s the American way of doing business and I hope it never changes.”
Morris’s contributions to MSU run deeper. His willingness to adopt innovative practices, test new agricultural methods and mentor young farmers has made his farm an invaluable teaching center and “virtual laboratory” for MSU students and faculty, as well as the greater agricultural community served by the land-grant university.
Likewise, Morris has been a tireless advocate for agricultural programs of the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), MSU Extension and the Michigan Agriculture Experiment Station.
“His long-term relationship with MSU has led to farm operations being available and
accessible to teaching faculty and researchers, resulting in new knowledge and applied learning,” said Wood. “And his engagement with MSU agriculture education leaders has resulted in curriculum and teaching methods that are relevant and cutting-edge.”
Above and beyond this, Morris has pledged significant financial resources to MSU in the form of endowments which will have tremendous impact on the future of Michigan livestock research, local government policy and agriculture.
“While Dave’s many years of contribution and leadership are worthy of recognition, it his vision for the future of agriculture in Michigan that is truly impressive,” wrote MSU CANR Dean Jeffrey Armstrong in a letter supporting Morris’s nomination for the DSA Award.
“Clearly, Dave Morris’s dedication to the future of Michigan agriculture and the broader community is apparent in his life’s work, his many civic contributions and his generous financial contributions that have – and will have – a tremendous positive impact on our ability to serve the needs of the people of Michigan,” said Armstrong.
MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families.
-30-
Editor’s Note: Visit http://www.michfb.com/annual for photos from the awards ceremony. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Media Support Services Manager Jill Corrin at (800) 292-2680, ext. 6585.
