Marilyn Backman sees lots of value in her Minnesota Soybean Growers Association membership. And she knows from experience — Backman’s been a proud member of MSGA for nearly 30 years.

“It’s important to me because farmers are generally very-independent minded people, but we need to come together as a group for issues that affect the greater good,” Backman said from her home in Herman, Minn. “That’s where MSGA defines its purpose.”

Backman is a graduate of North Dakota State University and worked as a sales rep for Monsanto for 15 years before relocating to Herman with her husband, Timothy Backman.

The couple has four sons (the oldest, Michael, works alongside his parents) and grow corn, soybeans, sugar beets and wheat on the Backman family farm.

“My husband and his father started a seed business in 1974,” says Marilyn, who is also a seed seller. “They’ve have always been strong supporters of Minnesota crop improvement and the soybean growers.”

Backman says her membership in MSGA is a lasting investment that has paid off throughout the decades.

“As a producer, you wear so many hats,” she says. “It’s good to know while we’re keeping busy that MSGA has our backs.”

The Minnesota Soybean Growers Association is the nation’s largest soybean association because farmers and agribusinesses have recognized the value MSGA membership brings. ‘Faces of MSGA’ recognizes those members who actively promote Minnesota’s soybean industry.