Submitted Photo Members of Singles in Agriculture pose for a photo during one of their gatherings.

LANSFORD – Margo Undlin, of Lansford, came across an article about a man in Illinois who had trouble finding women interested in rural living, so she did some digging.

“I joined (Singles in Agriculture) and went to a few events, then lost interest in it for a few years, and then rejoined. I was a member for a few years when the vice president in the Northern Great Plains (NGP) chapter called me out of the blue one day and was wondering if I would be interested in being the activity director for the NGP chapter. I said ‘yes,’ thinking I might help get more events organized in our chapter,” Undlin said.

After a few years more opportunities arose for Undlin.

“A few years ago, the president wanted to retire,” she said. “We had a chapter business meeting to hold an election for new officers. The vice president and I were the only ones nominated for the office of president and I was elected.”

“The rest is history,” she said. “Since then, we have had events in Rapid City and Watertown, South Dakota, and Red Wing and Duluth, Minnesota.”

Singles in Agriculture was founded in 1986 and is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing social and educational opportunities to single persons with a background or interest in agriculture. Members and guests enjoy reasonably priced events across the United States, where the emphasis is on friendship first.

The Northern Great Plains chapter consists of two members in North Dakota, two members in Minnesota and two couples in South Dakota.

“We are always looking for new members to join any of our chapters, ” said Undlin. “Our desire is to reach as many singles as possible in the ag world. Members have the opportunity to see new places, learn through informative tours, listen to speakers who are experts in their fields, enjoy wonderful entertainment and make friends that will last a lifetime,” she said.

With 10 different chapters across the U.S., SIA has events for everyone, everywhere. SIA offers two events for guests to decide if they are interested in joining. With so many events across the United States, SIA updates its website frequently for members and guests to find events in any chapter.

“Our membership encompasses a broad range in ages, with members who have never married, have divorced or those who are widows or widowers,” Undlin said.

SIA even offers scholarships that are given annually to high school applicants pursuing careers in agriculture from the represented states in the amount of $250 each.

“Our focus is on friendship, not dating, although we have many members who have found their special someone through this group, necessitating a sister group called ‘Singles No More,'” said Undlin. “We believe we have something unique and valuable to offer.”