Alumni Spotlight

Name: Michael Torrey

Current Title: CEO

Organization: Torrey Advising Group

Major: Agricultural Education '86

K-State College of Ag is proud to recognize alumni from all departments who continue to pursue their passion in their respective fields. It is through experience that we continue to grow as individuals and stewards of the industry. Through those experiences, we hope to be a continued resource for the next generation of K-State students to lean on for advice and continue to build our network!

Why did you choose K-State and agricultural education?

I grew up south of Wamego, so K-State was close to home. Additionally, my grandmother ran the post office at K-State, which was located in Anderson Hall, so as a little kid, I would visit her and be around faculty there. I was also active in Future Farmers of America and 4-H, which put me on campus quite a bit, so it felt like I grew up on the campus of K-State. It was a natural fit to go there for college.

I chose agricultural education because of my interactions with ag instructors and county Extension agents during my time in FFA and 4-H. Those were individuals I admired quite a bit. I found that my gift was reaching and helping others, so agricultural education allowed me to pursue that skillset.

What class at K-State impacted you the most?

Classes taught by Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh were the most impactful. While the classroom instruction was always good, I found the most impactful lessons I learned from him were through our countless conversations during his office hours.

Another impactful course was Psychology of the Exceptional Child, ECED 428, which was required through the education degree. It showed a window into the psychology and development of children, and I learned a lot about human nature. It opened up a whole world to me, and even now I spend time reading articles and taking classes on how our minds work.

What advice would you give your college self?

I spent a lot of time worrying about things that never came true. When you get older, you realize how much time and emotional energy was spent on that. If I had been able to redirect that in a healthier way, it probably would have been a good thing. When I finished at K-State, a piece of advice that would have been helpful was to be intentional about learning new things. However, within a few years, I found myself being drawn back toward that, and even today I am actively learning new things.

Why should students attend K-State?

The more I work with students from across the country, the more I believe the community in which a university is located is very important. I do believe Manhattan is a very special place. I think that shows how many people move back or retire to Manhattan and stay a part of the community. It feels small, it’s safe and secure, and the people are nice. It also shows on campus and in interactions with students. It has so much to offer.

What does the Torrey Advisory Group do?

We’re a public policy firm and focus on the food and agricultural supply chain. The team is made up of issue policy experts who also have a deep network in the policy making arena. We provide both advocacy and non advocacy services. We are hired by companies / grower groups / NGO’s to help identify their challenges and create solutions to solve them. We play both offense and defense for clients as they engage with Congress and the Executive branch of government. Yes we lobby. But we also engage in non-lobby work, where we track and advise clients on government action and how they may be impacted.

How did the Torrey Advisory Group start?

As a freshman at K-State, I was concurrently serving as a state FFA officer. In that role we would go on ag / ag business tours. I remember saying to a fellow classmate at that time, “It would be kind of fun to start one of these companies someday.” Fast-forward to 2005, and I started Torrey Advisory Group. Another motivating factor was just once, I wanted to take a step in my career without a safety net to see if I had what it takes to succeed. No clients, no paycheck. I figured that in six months, if it wasn’t going great, I’ll just go get a job.

I started the firm because I wanted to be a champion for the industry. We all know it starts at the farm, but even before that, there are folks out there who are developing things that farmers need to succeed. I wanted to be a part of it. For me, nothing else matters if you don’t have a stable food supply. My grandparents knew what food scarcity was, and they lived through it. It wasn’t taken for granted. I strongly believe that being a part of the food and agricultural supply chain is what I was called to do.

Why did you create the Flinchbaugh Food and Agricultural Policy Fellowship?

I felt like K-State was producing high-quality individuals that had a strong educational background in policy, largely in part to what Dr. Flinchbaugh was teaching. As I sat in Washington, D.C., I noticed that students weren’t showing up in food and agriculture internships on Capitol Hill. The fellowship program was to try to get kids into Washington, D.C. and gain the practical experience that comes with the internship roles.

As a student, if you’re going to go into the food and agriculture system, it’s important to understand policy. It’s going to make you stronger and better in your career.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

For students, it feels like there’s never going to be an end to their career and that they’ve got all of this time to work with. There’s a period of time where those years go very slowly, but as you get older, they go faster. You think about what you’ve done in your life and leaving it all out on the field. Find your passion, your dream, what makes you tick. Find your unique abilities so that when you’re working, time flies because you’re doing something that is so easy and natural to you.