Fifty years of growing with the U of M

With half a century of dedication to the U of M to his credit, Peter Moe was the perfect person to deliver the keynote address at the CFANS 2023 graduate commencement ceremony in May. Clothed in academic regalia and brimming with enthusiasm, he congratulated and inspired the accomplished students celebrating the achievement of their master’s, professional, or doctoral degrees. 

“The University of Minnesota, and CFANS in particular, has been part of the fabric of my life for 50 years. So it is really a privilege for me to share this time with you, a new generation of leaders whose CFANS experiences will propel you to take on our world’s grandest challenges and be inspiring bright lights of innovation, creativity, and justice for generations to come,” he said. 

Moe speaks from experience. In 1973, he joined the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, fondly known locally as “the Arb,” as a student gardener, and retired as the organization’s director in 2023. After completing his undergraduate degree in horticultural science in 1975, he was hired as a research plot technician at the Arb’s Horticultural Research Center. Wanting to prepare himself for future positions, he went on to receive his Master of Agriculture degree at CFANS in 1981.

“This was the perfect degree for me, as it was designed for people working in the field,” he said. While enrolled in this program, he became the Landscape Maintenance Supervisor at the Arb. From there, Moe’s career at the Arb continued to bloom and flourish, resulting in five decades of growth and success.

Established by the University in 1958 and today part of CFANS, the Arb is a beloved public garden for more than 500,000 visitors annually.  Throughout the years, Moe worked with every Arb director and was involved with the design, construction, and planting of many plant collections, gardens, buildings, and facilities. During his tenure, the Arb expanded to 1,200 acres and experienced significant growth in membership, attendance, earned income, and philanthropy. As Moe was promoted to positions of increasing responsibility, including becoming the Arb’s fifth director, he was guided by the Arb’s mission to welcome, inform, and inspire all visitors through the outstanding displays, protected natural areas, horticultural research, and education. 

Today, the Arb is one of the premier public gardens in the U.S., and is one of only a few gardens with world-class fruit and landscape breeding programs; for example, the Arb is home to the famous Honeycrisp apple. Moe was instrumental in the Arb receiving the highest level of Accreditations through the American Alliance of Museums; American Public Garden Association Plant Collection Network; ArbNET; and Botanical Gardens Conservation International. Moe also started the Arb’s Plant Conservation Program in 2013. 

“While I’m of course proud of the wide variety of Arb accomplishments I contributed to through the decades, the best thing happened there early in my career — meeting my wife Susan,” said a smiling Moe to the commencement crowd. “She is also a CFANS graduate, who was then working at the Arb as a plant breeder and scientist. We bought a home near the Arb, raising our three children and growing trees, fruit plants, azaleas, and vegetables. It brings me great joy to share that all of my kids are U of M graduates with CFANS connections,” he said, adding that CFANS is clearly part of his family’s DNA. 

You can learn more about Moe’s experiences at the Arb in this June 2022 article announcing his retirement. Congratulations on your retirement Pete, and thank you for your many years of service to the Arb, the University, and the state of Minnesota!