According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 44,000 farms in Michigan contribute $104.7 billion to the state’s economy—an impressive number made more meaningful when you learn that 95% of those farms are family-owned.
Among them was a dairy farm in Pigeon, Michigan, home to third-generation farmer Kurt William Anderson. His life’s journey embodies the resilience that defines Michigan farming.
Kurt was born January 6, 1959, to Bruce and Gail Anderson. After graduating from Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker High School in 1977, Kurt went straight to Michigan State University (MSU) where he excelled academically. He was recognized as the MSU Dairy Club’s Outstanding Senior and graduated cum laude in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in dairy science.
Everything was going according to plan. Kurt returned home to partner with his father on the family farm and two months later, on August 15, 1981, he married his high school sweetheart, Patricia (Pat) Willey. Just eleven months later, at the age of 23, Kurt received news that would completely alter the trajectory of his career—he was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis.
His diagnosis did not hinder his drive to contribute to the industry he loved. He kept working as long as his body would allow, receiving the Farm Bureau Young Farmer Award and being named Outstanding Young Dairy Cooperators alongside Pat. Kurt was also a recipient of assistance from the AgrAbility Project and served on the statewide Easterseals Board of Directors.
After 13 years on the family farm, MSU approached Kurt about a career opportunity. After some consideration, Kurt accepted the position to become the new MSU Dairy Extension Agent for Huron and Tuscola counties. He sold his beloved cows and began his new job in December. As a requirement of his new role, Kurt reenrolled at MSU in its Agriculture and Extension Education program, earning his master’s degree in 1998 with a perfect 4.0 GPA. By this time, Kurt used a wheelchair and freely expressed the sentiment, “Just because one part of the body doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean the whole body has to go in the trash bin.”
Kurt continued to cement himself within Michigan’s ag community and Pat’s work became the driving force behind establishing the agricultural partnership between Delta College and MSU. The program allows students to earn an associate’s degree from Delta and a certificate in agriculture technology from MSU within two years, all while staying close to home.
Kurt may have known better than most that agriculture is a challenging yet rewarding career that integrally connects producers with nature and their communities. Though his time was cut short, he was determined to continue contributing to the ag industry by supporting others in pursuit of the career they love. Before his passing on December 18, 2015, at the age of 56, Kurt established an annual scholarship in his name for Delta College ag students. Ten years later, on June 4, 2025, the Delta College Foundation approved the establishment of the Kurt W. Anderson Agricultural Scholarship Endowment.
Interested in contributing to the future financial impact of this endowment, or want to establish a new scholarship?
Contact Julie Dorcey at 989-686-9079 or juliedorcey@delta.edu.
