F. Ronald Rayner
A fourth-generation Arizona farmer and a first-generation college graduate, F. Ronald Rayner graduated with high distinction from the University of Arizona in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural education. Rayner is a national leader in arid-land agriculture, especially as an innovator who helped create cropping systems designed to conserve water.
Rayner helped develop a minimum-tillage, double cropping system that is now a model for sustainable crops in arid climates – and now widely called "the Rayner Method." The system has been shown to reduce water consumption by more than 34%.
Rayner has long advocated for research and student success at the U of A. His business, A Tumbling T Ranches, has become a de facto extension and research satellite for the college, where Rayner hosts a testing ground for new technologies. Rayner has also kept decades of crop performance and water use data, which he has shared with college researchers, helping accelerate the adoption of new cropping systems in arid climates. His partnership with the college has provided land, equipment, and operational support for countless research trials, which have enriched the university's reach and land-grant mission.
Rayner has held major leadership roles in agriculture, water policy, and civic organizations. He is a former president and chairman of the National Cotton Council of America, where, in the late 1990s, his leadership helped secure funding to stabilize the industry amid national crop losses. As chairman of the group's marketing committee, he helped position American cotton as a high-quality, responsibly produced commodity in global markets. Rayner has also served as a board member for the Central Arizona Project and later the Family Farm Alliance. Rayner also served on the Agua Fria High School board for 27 years, and remains deeply involved with youth development through Future Farmers of America.
Last year, Rayner was recognized as an Arizona Historymaker for his lifetime contributions to Arizona's agriculture and surrounding community. The distinction puts him in the company of Sandra Day O'Connor and the Navajo Code Talkers.