Together with cooperatives nationwide, we’re celebrating the month of October, National Co-Op Month, by lifting up the stories of Land O’Lakes member-owners. The occasion marks an opportunity to raise awareness of a trusted, proven way to do business — while showcasing the impact our member-owners have on the communities where they live and work.
Throughout the month of October, we will be highlighting stories featuring our cooperative owners, celebrating their innovative operations and the work they do in support of their communities.

Co-Ops Commit: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The theme for this year’s Co-op Month is “Co-ops Commit: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” representing how cooperatives are working together to better meet the needs of communities that have been excluded from economic opportunities.

As one of the nation’s largest cooperatives, Land O’Lakes, Inc. is committed to achieving a prosperous shared destiny by working to advance rural communities across the nation. We do this by supporting farming and ag business operations across the country, reinvesting our profits into our member-owners’ businesses and through groundbreaking initiatives like our American Connection Project.

Did You Know…?

Land O’Lakes has cooperative roots that reach back nearly 100 years! In 1921, 320 dairy farmers met in St. Paul, Minnesota, to form the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association. Their idea was simple: Join together to effectively market and distribute members’ dairy production across the country. Today, we’ve expanded our portfolio and our four businesses span the whole agricultural system. 

Through it all, our member-owners are at the heart of everything we do. And in the world of cooperatives, we’re pretty unique. We operate as a marketing co-op for about 1,700 dairy farmers and as a supply co-op for around 800 agricultural retailers who provide crop inputs, fuel, feed and agronomic expertise to more than 400,000 farmers.
We believe we’ve only scratched the surface of how powerful our co-op system can be — from lifting up rural communities and connecting with consumers to pioneering new technologies and sustainable practices and bringing them directly to the farmgate.

Learn More

Stay tuned all month for more member stories on our blog and on social media.