2023 December Board Book

As our Dairy Foods business works to meet the rising market demand for cheese products, we’re exploring more sustainable methods for making cheese with our members’ milk to streamline processing, reduce waste, use less packaging and lower transportation costs. Our Dairy Foods business has established several sustainability projects with customers to help achieve shared supply chain goals: This summer, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Hershey Co. announced the joint commitment of $2 million for Land O’Lakes member dairy farms in Pennsylvania to support clean water, climate and sustainable farming initiatives. The increased funding builds on the “Sustainable Dairy PA” initiative started by Land O’Lakes, Hershey and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay in 2021, which takes a collaborative, industry-led and public sector-supported approach to accelerate on-farm conservation practices that improve water quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2022, we were recognized for our work with Bel Brands USA and Boadwine Dairy, a fourth-generation farm in South Dakota that ships milk to Bel Brands’ facilities. We received the Outstanding Supply Chain Sustainability Award by the farmer-founded Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. The multi-year pilot program increases the use of cover crops and other sustainable agricultural practices, boosted by technical expertise and cost incentives to participate. The success of the program has shown it’s a scalable way to drive positive climate outcomes while supporting farmers by mitigating risk and creating new market opportunities. What are you most excited about for the future of the dairy industry? Snyder: I’m excited for the world and industry leaders to see the dairy industry as innovators who are helping address some of the world’s toughest challenges. Elevating the work and progress of the dairy industry will help show others that we are problem solvers and play a key role in the fight against climate change. Rodenbaugh: Something I often tell our employees is how fortunate we are. We get to go to work every day serving family farms throughout the country, while working within a leading global dairy cooperative serving consumers’ nutrition needs around the planet. Every one of our 19,000 team members are committed to what they do, each having ideas that can drive improvements, efficiencies and contribute to a positive culture and community. I’ve challenged each of us to come to work each day and offer one thing that can be improved by 1%. When that is accomplished, find another and another. Imagine the exponential ripples of this connected effort. If we can do that for our farmer-owners and consumers, what greater purpose is there? It is not a job you have to do, but an honor and a privilege that not everyone gets to do. McClelland: The dairy industry should be very proud that milk and cheese can be found in more than 90% of households, with ice cream, yogurt and novelties trailing slightly behind at over 80% penetration. The Prairie Farms’ portfolio includes products in all Top 10 dairy categories, and we’re expanding our options in some key Top 10 segments very soon. Our new products will appeal to Prairie Farms’ tried-and true milk drinkers, and we’re also looking to bring in new consumers who may have moved away from 100% real milk. We’re most excited about filling up more refrigerators and freezers with Prairie Farms’ award-winning dairy products in homes across America. Omer: There is so much to be excited about. While the world has seen many changes in recent years, I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the lasting impacts of the evolution of consumer behavior. Consumers are constantly surrounded by inspiration to enjoy incredible food experiences. The products our industry produces are often at the center of that, from charcuterie boards to a comforting recipe. Our increasingly digital world allows us to be part of that experience and to engage with our customers in a new way. We can literally see in real time what our customers want and what trends they are excited about. On a company level, I’m most excited about how our new cheese conversion facility and headquarters will help us better serve our customers and create products that consumers want and need. The new 158,000-square-foot Stoughton, (Wis.) facility is one of our largest sustainability initiatives to date, with energy efficient building features and a more sustainable operations model. One of the biggest benefits of the facility is the reduction of transportation lanes, which helps reduce carbon emissions from transportation. Anfang: Today’s consumer not only cares about the end product a company offers but also wants a brand’s values to align with their own. We want to tell that story. Last year, we launched the “Eat it Like You Own it” campaign, to remind consumers that when they buy a Land O’Lakes product, they are directly benefitting more than 1,000 dairy farmer-owners who work tirelessly to provide the milk for the dairy products they know and love. Being a force for good in our communities — and for our planet — is a role Land O’Lakes takes seriously as a part of the dairy industry. It means using our voice as an industry leader in agriculture to showcase the areas of impact that our farmers and members are making across our cooperative network and the globe. We are excited to continue to build our brand trust and create deeper relationships with consumers by sharing the stories of our farmers and the power of the cooperative system. Diglio: What excites me is the continuation of using technology to change the products we produce or change how we’re producing them to achieve results. Milk is so dynamic that it has the ability to be a solution to so many different challenges we’re facing as a country and as a global population today. There will always be a need for dairy in the future and that’s exciting. What other industry has the ability to provide nourishment and welfare for so many while achieving a sustainable environment that everyone can benefit from?

Brian Berk has been a writer and editor for 21 years. He has served as editor-in-chief of the Music & Sound Retailer and managing editor of Convenience Store News, both the top-circulated magazines in their respective fields. Berk has also held editing and writing roles in drug store retail, photography, and natural health products. Holding a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Cortland and a master’s degree from Quinnipiac University, Berk lives in Port Washington, N.Y., with his wife and two children.