As the brand manager for farmer-owned cooperative Ceres Solutions in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Laurel Mann believes that a company’s employees and actions tell its true story. The advantage of the co-op system is that it’s locally owned and managed, so employees are invested in the communities they serve. At Ceres, employees play a role in community service and directing how their organization gives back.

Direct member matches and member co-op matches are due Nov. 30. You can learn more under Community Involvement on the homepage or email landolakesfoundation@landolakes.com.

Foundation matches dollar-for-dollar the cash donations of our members through our Member Match programs. Ceres works throughout 35 different counties in Indiana and Michigan, where many communities have different needs; Ceres needed somewhere to focus. It wasn’t a hard decision to champion the issues that mattered most to employees: 4H and FFA, conservation, scholarships and food insecurity.
Laurel says, “When we think about giving, we think about: Are we doing it in the most impactful way?” She’s speaking to the passion of Ceres employees to not miss any opportunity to address needs in the communities they serve, food insecurity being one of the most prevalent. “We’re trying to be the best stewards we can be and invest members’ money effectively.”
And while Ceres was already generously giving in these areas, Laurel wondered if they could increase their impact. So Laurel and Ceres decided to take advantage of the Land O’Lakes Foundation Match program, which matches dollar-for-dollar the cash donations of members. Working with the LOL Foundation, Ceres was able to double their investment in communities. Now, they’re partnering with larger food banks and reaching more people as a result.
The Land O’Lakes Foundation’s Member Match program is just one of many philanthropic and business efforts to advance rural communities and invest in the future of agriculture.

• Our Direct Member Scholarship and WinField United Careers in Agriculture Scholarship provide financial support to students pursuing degrees in agriculture.

• Our First Run program relieves hunger by donating fresh dairy products by the semi-truck-load to rural food banks.

• Our Member Assistance Program offers resources to assist members dealing with difficult circumstances.

Laurel and the employees at Ceres are proud to know that they work for an organization that gives back to their communities. Hear more from Laurel here: