Q&A with Andrew Mauch, President of the North Dakota Corn Growers

Andrew Mauch has been working on and around his family’s fourth-generation farm in North Dakota since his freshman year in high school. After going to Fargo to earn a degree from North Dakota State University in ag systems management, he returned full-time on the farm in 2006 and has been working with his family ever since. 

Farming corn, soybeans, edible beets, and sugar beets, Mauch has also risen up the board to president of the North Dakota Corn Growers Association after being a member since 2010. Mauch stressed how important it is for farmers in North Dakota to become a member of the association. 

As the season turns, Mauch spent some time with Successful Farming to discuss his role, how it impacts his work on the family farm, and more. 

SF: How did you get your start on the corn board?

AM: This is my sixth year on the board. I’ve been a member since 2010, somewhere in that timeframe. I was a member, but I didn’t get involved and didn’t honestly know exactly what they all did. I didn’t think about it that much, to tell you the truth. 

I never really was involved too much in politics in general. With the association, a lot of it is educating policy officials and leaders and things like that. Maybe eight years ago I started taking a little more interest in it. I started talking to the guy from our district who was on the board at that time. After a little bit of time, he termed out, and I decided it was my turn to take some time away from the farm and do some of these things that really matter to the American farmer. 

SF: How long did it take to acclimate to life on the board?

AM: To start with, it takes a full year to kind of get acclimated with everything that’s going on, whether it’s the different organizations we are a part of, or meeting people. That’s probably been the most rewarding part — to visit about different issues with people throughout the state that are different. Then you start meeting national guys and a lot of issues are the same — but there are differences. 

I wanted to jump in with both feet running and learn all I could, take it all in, and be the best representative of our district that I can. 

SF: What is it like balancing duties on and off the farm?

AM: I’m pretty fortunate with the operation we have. I farm with my brother and my nephew and my dad is retired but he’s still around quite a bit, so I was able to say to them, “Hey, this is something that we need to do as a farm and I’m willing to do it. We need to have somebody be able to go out to Bismark and go to Washington, D.C., and advocate for these things.”

One thing I found out through the years is that not everybody has that luxury or that opportunity to be away from their farm during those times. We know when everyone is busy, so we structure a lot of stuff around the winter time or during summer after we’re done spraying. It’s been good. I’ve been lucky to have an operation where I can come and go a little bit.