After attending North Dakota State University, Andrew Mages started working for an engineering company. After eight years in engineering, Mages knew he wanted to get back into the agricultural industry.

“Communities of local family farms are very tight knit,” Mages said. “I missed that. You get a little bit more satisfaction watching something grow and feeding the world rather than designing a road.”

When Mages realized what he was missing, he returned to NDSU for an Ag Economics degree. Now, Mages works for a commodity trading firm where he works with farmers and elevators on risk management. Mages has also been back home on the family farm, growing soybeans and corn with his father, John, for the past 12 years.

“He has been farming for over 40 years,” Mages said. “I kind of jumped in slowly and now I’m growing as we go on.”

Mages’ father has been very influential in his life when it comes to agriculture, but particularly when it comes to agricultural advocacy. John motivated his son to join the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association. Soon thereafter, he joined the Clay-Wilkin County Corn & Soybean board.

“If we want to keep the farm going, we need a strong community to educate on why it’s important to support local farmers,” Mages said. “(Membership in MSGA) is a small price to pay for your future.”