Welcome to Seed Specialist Mike Tufte!
Nov 10, 2023
NORTH DAKOTA MAY not be known as a top exporter of corn and soybeans— but the state sure is known for an impressive list of other commodities! We are pleased to introduce you to Mike Tufte, a North Dakota native who joined our team this fall as the first Key Seed Specialist.
Mike grew up fully immersed in agriculture, but as the youngest, he knew he wouldn’t have the chance to farm full-time. He was heavily involved in FFA and worked for the local ag retailer all through high school. His interest in ag ultimately drew him to North Dakota State University with the goal of becoming a crop consultant.
“At a career fair, I met a seed company and ended up being a soybean specialist for them for about a decade,” said Mike. “For a guy who never thought he’d be in sales, I’ve now spent nearly my entire career there!”
A high point of Mike’s career came back in 2014, when he received the Mr. Agora Award from Limagrain. This
award recognizes the top three percent in the world for grain sales. “The award was a very memorable international trip—one week in Paris and another in Berlin,” recalled Mike.
The move to Iowa came in 2018, when Mike went to work in biological soybean treatments at Indigo Ag. Following this experience, Mike was in seed sales for another Iowa company until learning about the opportunity at Key Cooperative.
“I reached out to many in the industry who have worked with Key. It was unanimous. They all said I would like the culture there,” said Mike. “Often cooperatives are grain-focused, but knowing Key has a reputation for
being agronomy-focused made the position attractive.”
Mike and his fiancée, Meg, just purchased a home in Prairie City, where they live with their well-loved red lab, Odin.
Mike grew up fully immersed in agriculture, but as the youngest, he knew he wouldn’t have the chance to farm full-time. He was heavily involved in FFA and worked for the local ag retailer all through high school. His interest in ag ultimately drew him to North Dakota State University with the goal of becoming a crop consultant.
“At a career fair, I met a seed company and ended up being a soybean specialist for them for about a decade,” said Mike. “For a guy who never thought he’d be in sales, I’ve now spent nearly my entire career there!”
A high point of Mike’s career came back in 2014, when he received the Mr. Agora Award from Limagrain. This
award recognizes the top three percent in the world for grain sales. “The award was a very memorable international trip—one week in Paris and another in Berlin,” recalled Mike.
The move to Iowa came in 2018, when Mike went to work in biological soybean treatments at Indigo Ag. Following this experience, Mike was in seed sales for another Iowa company until learning about the opportunity at Key Cooperative.
“I reached out to many in the industry who have worked with Key. It was unanimous. They all said I would like the culture there,” said Mike. “Often cooperatives are grain-focused, but knowing Key has a reputation for
being agronomy-focused made the position attractive.”
Mike and his fiancée, Meg, just purchased a home in Prairie City, where they live with their well-loved red lab, Odin.