Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Everyone who works for Land O'Lakes, Inc. is connected to agriculture and, for a lot of our employees, their passion for our members comes from a personal ag experience. According to a recent employee newsletter survey, 88% of the 51 respondents reported having farm experience at some point in their lives, and just over half indicated they are still actively involved in farming. While previous or current farming experience certainly isn’t a prerequisite for every job at Land O’Lakes, the experience that many of our employees have helps create a level of commitment and respect for our members and organizational purpose. So, in honor of #NationalFarmersDay and our commitment to our members, here are some of the stories of those employees with personal ties to farming: https://lnkd.in/gfJUaA_Z 🌱🐄👨🌾👩🌾

We know rural America isn’t a monolith and deserves to be seen for what it truly is -- filled with vibrant, essential and healthy places to live, work and grow. That's why Land O'Lakes, Inc. convened the Modern Rural Collective: A network of storytellers, marketers and brands working to reshape how rural communities are represented across media and culture. And here’s the latest: Land O'Lakes, Inc. and Getty Images are collaborating on "Repicturing Rural," an effort that challenges outdated stereotypes by equipping brands, media and businesses with tools and images needed to tell accurate, authentic stories of rural America. As a farmer-owned cooperative operating in thousands of rural communities across the country that are the backbone of our food system, we know that imagery -- especially stock imagery commonly used by so many -- often doesn’t show the full story of rural America. By shaping more authentic visual narratives, we’re strengthening cultural understanding and creating space for shared values that resonate across all geographies. Dive in here 👇 👀 Collaboration announcement: https://lnkd.in/gX-bhK_8 📘 Download the playbook and explore original research: https://lnkd.in/gmDX_CTM 💬 Get involved with Modern Rural Collective efforts to tell the real rural story: https://lnkd.in/gT732p22

We know rural America isn’t a monolith and deserves to be seen for what it truly is -- filled with vibrant, essential and healthy places to live, work and grow. That's why Land O'Lakes, Inc. convened the Modern Rural Collective: A network of storytellers, marketers and brands working to reshape how rural communities are represented across media and culture. And here’s the latest: Land O’Lakes, Inc. and Getty Images are collaborating on "Repicturing Rural," an effort that challenges outdated stereotypes by equipping brands, media and businesses with tools and images needed to tell accurate, authentic stories of rural America.  As a farmer-owned cooperative operating in thousands of rural communities across the country that are the backbone of our food system, we know that imagery -- especially stock imagery commonly used by so many -- often doesn’t show the full story of rural America. By shaping more authentic visual narratives, we’re strengthening cultural understanding and creating space for shared values that resonate across all geographies. Dive in here 👇 📘 Download the playbook and explore original research: https://lnkd.in/gmDX_CTM 💬 Get involved with Modern Rural Collective efforts to tell the real rural story: https://lnkd.in/gT732p22

From its earliest days, Land O'Lakes, Inc. has been driven by a simple but powerful idea: When we join forces as a cooperative, we lift up our members and employees, as well as their communities, in extraordinary ways. Whether facing everyday challenges or moments of crisis, our commitment to giving back delivers real impact when and where it matters most. Today, these cooperative giving efforts are led by the Land O’Lakes Community Relations and Foundation team. Be it through grant dollars, matching contributions, volunteerism, or product donations, learn more about how Community Relations and the Foundation has helped our members and employees show up and support those in need over the past year: #NationalCoOpMonth https://lnkd.in/gucStXVA

This #NationalCoOpMonth, we’re highlighting how cooperatives show up to support their communities. In North Dakota, Valley United Co-op, an ag-retail owner of Land O'Lakes, Inc., partners with Great Plains Food Bank to provide food and financial support to help families in need. Hear directly from them about how their cooperative gives back:

October 3 is #ManufacturingDay, a day started by The Manufacturing Institute - MI to celebrate the dedication of manufacturing workers. So we're taking a moment this weekend to recognize our incredible workforce. It should no surprise that our manufacturing employees keep everything moving smoothly, and ensure that we deliver on our promise to our member-owners and customers. 🚛📦 🧈 To our manufacturing workers & all those across the manufacturing industry: Thank you for all you do. Today and everyday. 💙

It's #manufacturingday -- a great excuse to elevate stories about our incredible frontline workforce that we share year-round: 👷 Quality team lead Sue Tesch reflecting on her 47-year career at our Melrose dairy plant: https://spr.ly/6042AcUd8 🎓 College students thriving in Land O’Lakes' flex manufacturing roles: https://spr.ly/6044AcUdE 💪 How our flex labor program is changing lives: https://spr.ly/6046AcUdG 🤠 A day in the life of a Purina Animal Nutrition Feed production employee: https://spr.ly/6048AcUdy 🧈 A day in the life of a Land O'Lakes Dairy Foods manufacturing employee: https://spr.ly/6040AcUdK

Since 2021, Land O'Lakes, Inc. has offered a Reverse Mentorship Program to shine a light on those similarities and provide a jumping-off point for new workplace connections. Reverse mentorship is exactly what it sounds like: the early-in-their-career employee is placed in the role of mentor, and the more experienced employee takes on the role of mentee.  “I can get information from my mentor on how they're feeling about the company -- and having a connection like that helps me gain that different perspective. Having the ability to tap into all of the great minds in this organization and hear from some really talented individuals only makes our co-op better.” 👉 https://lnkd.in/dKNtKu2c

The cooperative mindset is about planning for the next generation as much as the next quarter. At Land O'Lakes, Inc., it means patient capital, deep partnerships and continuous productivity improvements that strengthen the relevance of our model to better support the businesses, farmers and communities that feed the world.    It’s a mindset that shows up in how we invest, how we innovate and how we grow – like our recent announcement of AgRogue Growth Partners. Because capital alone isn’t enough. Relationships matter. End users matter. And progress without connection doesn’t stick.    This National Co-op Month and beyond, let’s rethink what drives real change — and why the #cooperative model might just be the blueprint. #NationalCoopMonth  https://lnkd.in/gsWjuPhb

It's #NationalCoOpMonth! Cooperatives aren't only economic engines in thousands of rural communities, they're also an essential pillar of our food system. And those who lead, operate and work for cooperatives serve their community as volunteer firefighters, little league coaches, school employees -- and so much more. Here's Brad Vold, a Land O'Lakes, Inc. member-owner and operator of Dorrich Dairy in Glenwood, Minnesota speaking to the power of the co-op model and our cooperative system: 👩🌾🌱🐄👨🌾