Scholarship

DON AND JEAN DONATELLO MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Our Legacy - Your Future

Alaska Mill & Feed has a rich history, evolving from a small family business into a staple of Alaskan industry. The company was originally founded in 1950 by Don Donatello, a chemical engineer who graduated from M.I.T in 1939. After serving in the U.S. Army and being stationed in the Aleutians during World War II, Don was on his way back to the east coast when he met Jean on the steamship, who was returning to the University of Washington. He then moved to Anchorage in 1947, where he settled down, married, and decided to make Alaska his home.

Don started his entrepreneurial journey by producing bleach cleaners and waxes at home, supplying the local school district and private companies. In 1958, he acquired the land where Alaska Mill & Feed currently stands, with the initial intent of developing a rendering plant to produce tallow for soap. This venture led to the construction of the state’s first and only FDA-approved feed mill in 1964. A year later, in 1965, Don was recognized as the U.S. Small Businessman of the Year by President Lyndon Johnson.

Over the decades Alaska Mill & Feed has continued to grow and adapt to meet the needs of Alaskans. In 1965, the company adopted the name Alaska Mill & Feed. During the late 1970s, we expanded to include a fertilizer blending plant and a farm and garden retail operation. In the 1990s, we further broadened our business by launching our wholesale distribution under the name Alaska Garden & Pet Supply. In 2016, the Donatello Family entrusted the business to its employees, making it 100% Employee-Owned. Today, we manufacture hundreds of items under ten different trademarked names produced in our original location in Anchorage.

Despite these changes, many of our original customers still fondly refer to us as “Don’s,” a nod to our founder and the products he created. The Donatello Family built this business on simple yet strong principles: providing good advice, fair prices, and excellent customer service. These values continue to guide us today.

In honor of Don’s ingenuity, dedication, and passion for building a better Alaska, we are proud to announce the Don & Jean Donatello Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship aims to support future generations in agriculture, trades, and industry through entrepreneurship. We encourage you to submit your project plan and scholarship application to help support your goals for the coming year and future.