Peter Andrew “Andy” Groseta
Andy, Mary Beth, and their wonderful family
Cottonwood - Yavapai County
Inducted in 2017
Andy Groseta grew up in the Verde Valley, a third generation rancher whose family was one of the pioneer mining and ranching families in North Central Arizona. Their ranching operations have included the Pine Creek ranch, a stocker ranch located north of Williams, which was owned and operated by the family from 1980 to 2000. Also the W Dart Ranch, a cow-calf operation headquartered in Cottonwood that has been in business in the Verde Valley since 1922.
The family moved from Middle Verde to the ranch headquarters in Bridgeport in 1936. His grandfather built the hay barn (which is still standing) using poles he cut from Arizona Cyprus trees on Schnedly Hill near Sedona and hauled to Bridgeport on a Wagon.
As a boy Andy remembers milking the cows on the family farm. There was no creamery in the area at that time. The mail was delivered to the ranch three days a week so they would run the milk through his grandmother’s separator. She would make cream and butter and then they would put the milk in five gallon milk cans and ship it to the creamery in Trinidad Colorado. The mailman would take it as far as Flagstaff and put it on a train for Trinidad. In 1972 Andy graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. degree in agricultural education and animal science. He received a Master’s degree in agricultural education in 1978. From 1972 to 1980 he taught agricultural education and was a FFA adviser at Amphitheater High School in Tucson. Andy and his wife Mary Beth bought the family ranch from the family in 2000. He and Mary Beth were recognized as the 2004 Arizona Agriculturists of the Year by the Arizona FFA Association. He was inducted into the Arizona 4-H Hall of Fame in 2013. They have received numerous other awards for their work in and for Arizona agriculture and with young people interested in the field of agriculture.
Affiliations
Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association (ACGA – past President (2011-2013), Board of Directors
Arizona Department of Water Resources Advisory Board – past Board Member
Arizona Town Hall – past Board Member
Catholic Community Foundation – past President
Cottonwood Ditch Association – President
Council for Agricultural Research, Extension & Teaching (CARET) – U of A Representative
Headquarters West Ltd, partner
Mingus Union High School Board – past President
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) – past President - Board of Directors
National Public Lands Council, past Member, & Arizona’s Director
National Leadership Council (NLC), U of A Foundation
Northern Arizona Healthcare System – past Chairman
University of Arizona Alumni Council – past President
University of Arizona Yavapai County Cooperative Extension Advisory Board – past Chairman
University of Arizona’s Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) Advisory Committee
Verde Watershed Association – charter Board Member
Yavapai County’s Water Advisory Committee (WAC) – represented Yavapai County District 3
Verde Valley Regional Economic Organization (VVREO) – Board of Directors
Awards
2004 Arizona Agriculturist of the Year (he and his wife) Arizona FFA Foundation
2011Agriculturist of the Year – Ag Alumni Council
2013 Inducted into 4-H Hall of Fame
2014 University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Centennial Award
2014 U of A’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni of the Year
2015 U of A’s Honorary Doctor of Science Degree
