Maybee native Dale Darling receives alumni award from Michigan State University
Maybee native Dale Darling recently received the highest accolade awarded by the dean of the Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Darling, now of Granite Bay, California, and Larry Walker, Ph.D., are the first recipients of the CANR Dean's Pinnacle of Excellence Award. They were honored during ANR Week, along with 10 other leaders in agriculture and natural resources, during a reception March 10 at the Graduate Hotel in East Lansing.
“The award is presented to alumni who have obtained the pinnacle of achievement in their field and brought distinction to the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources,” MSU said. “Created in 2023, this award is the highest accolade awarded by the dean.”
“I am honored to present Dean's Pinnacle of Excellence Award to such deserving Spartans,” CANR Dean Kelly F. Millenbah said. “Their outstanding professional contributions have brought distinction to the college, and we are proud to claim them as our own. Larry Walker and Dale Darling are just the type of alumni who inspired me to create this award, and I know that their accomplishments will inspire future students to dream big, work hard, and give back to their communities.”
Darling is founder and president of Summit Premium Tree Nuts in Orangevale, California. He is a sales and marketing veteran of the international tree nut industry and founded Summit Almonds in 2008. Later, Summit Almonds expanded its product line and now offers a full line of premium tree nuts, including almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and pistachios to 70 countries worldwide. Darling also owns 750 acres of almond and walnut orchards in California.
Darling earned a bachelor’s degree from MSU in animal science and a master's degree in agriculture economics. Following graduation in 1989, he worked for Worldwide Sires in Hanford, California, where he sold dairy and beef genetics around the world.
In 2000, Darling moved to Sacramento for a career at Blue Diamond Almonds, becoming a top salesman. In 2006, he began selling nuts for a few large nut producers.
With 26 employees, Summit Premium Tree Nuts, is the second largest distributor/marketer of almonds in the world with annual sales of over $600 million.
“As CEO and owner of Summit, Darling is well-respected within the California almond industry,” MSU said. “Suppliers and buyers rely on Darling’s knowledge of the market to make daily purchasing decisions based on their needs. As such, Darling has been a featured guest on news programs such as CNN Business and Fox Business. With a vast knowledge of international markets, he has traveled to 94 countries and is often sought out for his advice on global markets.”
Darling also enjoys mountain climbing. He named his business Summit because he summited the seven highest peaks in all seven continents, including Mount Everest. He was the 149th person to accomplish this feat, which took eight years to achieve.
“His business and mountaineering adventures have been the subject of numerous business articles,” MSU said. “He now is a motivational speaker and has spoken to 4-H, Boy Scouts, youth and business groups regarding goal-setting, team building and personal reliance. In 2006, Darling was a speaker at the USDA Agriculture Economic Outlook conference.”
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Maybee native Dale Darling receives alumni award from MSU
