LAND O'LAKES

What LAND O'LAKES does

Land O'Lakes, Inc. is a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative headquartered in Arden Hills, Minnesota, founded in 1921 by 320 Minnesota dairy farmers as the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association. As of 2024, it is the largest dairy manufacturer in the United States, holding an estimated 22-23% share of U.S. dairy product manufacturing with approximately $28.1 billion in dairy manufacturing sales against an industry total of roughly $146.5 billion. The cooperative is owned by 1,125+ dairy producer members, 475+ agricultural producer members, and 840+ retail co-op owners, and employs 9,000+ people. Its operations span all 50 U.S. states and more than 60 countries internationally.

The company's product portfolio spans six core categories: butter and spreads (its signature category and the originator of sweet cream butter), cheese (sliced American, shredded, chunks, and specialty cubes), eggs, whipping cream and half-and-half, margarine, and plant-based alternatives. It manufactures both under the Land O'Lakes brand and as private label for major retailers (notably Walmart's Great Value line). Its underlying technology centers on dairy processing, animal nutrition formulation, and crop input development, with proprietary formulations and recipe/culinary content as consumer-facing differentiators.

Land O'Lakes generates revenue through multiple streams: branded consumer dairy product sales via retail grocery, private label/B2B manufacturing for major retailers, animal nutrition and crop input sales to farmer-members through the co-op retail network, and dedicated foodservice distribution to restaurants, bakeries, and institutional food service providers. Distribution channels include retail grocery (with a "Where to Buy" e-commerce locator), foodservice direct sales, private label partnerships, and international distributors. Recent strategic activity (AgRogue Growth Partners agtech investment initiative, plant-based line expansion, and cultural partnerships) signals measured innovation investment within a mature cooperative structure.

Name

LAND O'LAKES

Legal name

Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Website

https://landolakes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Farmer-owned cooperative and the largest U.S. dairy manufacturer with ~22% market share. Produces butter, cheese, eggs, cream, and plant-based products for retail consumers, foodservice operators, private label partners, and 840+ agricultural retail co-ops across the U.S. and 60+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Products

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (115210), Corn Farming (11115)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Milking Parlor & Dairy Farm Support Services (Non-veterinary) (AFAEALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Agriculture Inputs & Farm Supply Marketplaces (CRAFAHAL)

Keywords

• Dairy products
• Butter manufacturing
• Agricultural cooperative
• Animal nutrition
• Crop inputs

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dairy Foods: Sale of consumer dairy products including butter, cheese, eggs, and spreads through retail grocery stores. Revenue generated from product sales to consumers via retail distribution channels.
2. Animal Nutrition: Feed and animal nutrition products sold to dairy and agricultural producer members through the cooperative network.
3. Crop Inputs: Seed, fertilizer, and crop protection products sold to agricultural producers through retail co-op owners.
4. Private Label Manufacturing: Manufacturing products under retailer private labels such as Walmart's Great Value, providing revenue through B2B wholesale relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Land O'Lakes is a farmer-owned cooperative that manufactures and sells dairy products including butter, cheese, eggs, margarine, plant-based alternatives, and whipping cream through retail grocery and foodservice channels. The company also operates an agricultural inputs business providing animal nutrition feed and crop inputs (seeds, fertilizer, crop protection) through a network of 840+ retail co-op owners serving dairy and crop producers across the United States.

Product overview

Land O'Lakes is a dairy cooperative offering a diverse portfolio of dairy products organized into six core categories: Butter and Spreads (including signature salted butter, flavored butter spreads like Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt, and specialty products like Every Little Thing Butter Spread and Butter Balls), Cheese (spanning American deli slices, shredded varieties, cheese chunks, and specialty cuts like Gouda & Havarti Cubes and Co-Jack), Eggs, Margarine, Plant-Based alternatives, and Whipping Cream and Half & Half. Founded in 1921 and owned by over 1,125 dairy producers and 840+ retail owners, the company operates as a farmer-owned cooperative serving consumers through retail grocery channels. The product portfolio centers on quality dairy ingredients for cooking, baking, and everyday consumption.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Butter and Spreads Signature salted butter, butter spreads with various flavors, and specialty butter products marketed to home cooks and bakers for everyday cooking and baking.
• Margarine Plant-based margarine alternatives to butter, offering consumers dairy-free spread options.
• Plant-Based Products Plant-based butter alternatives for consumers seeking dairy-free options for cooking and baking.
• Cheese Comprehensive cheese portfolio including American deli slices (Yellow and White Deli American), shredded cheeses (Sharp Cheddar Farmstyle Cut), cheese chunks (Co-Jack, Extra Sharp Cheddar & Habanero Jack, Medium Cheddar), Gouda & Havarti Cheese Cubes, Provolone, Swiss, and Italian Blend.
• Eggs Land O'Lakes brown eggs sold in various packaging options for retail consumers.
• Whipping Cream and Half & Half Dairy cream products including Heavy Whipping Cream, Half & Half, and Fat Free Half & Half for cooking, baking, and beverage applications.
• Animal Nutrition Feed Feed and animal nutrition products sold to dairy and agricultural producer members through the cooperative network of 840+ retail owners.
• Crop Inputs Seed, fertilizer, and crop protection products sold to agricultural producers through 840+ retail co-op owners.
• Private Label Manufacturing Contract manufacturing of dairy products (notably butter) for major retailer private label brands such as Walmart's Great Value, distributed through retailer channels.
• Foodservice Dairy Products Dedicated foodservice division providing dairy products to restaurants, bakeries, and institutional food service providers for commercial food preparation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Land O'Lakes holds 22-23% market share in U.S. dairy product manufacturing, generating approximately $28.1 billion in dairy manufacturing sales.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Innovation Center for U.S. DairycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Land O'Lakes participates in the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy's 2026 schedule of in-person food safety workshops designed to strengthen dairy manufacturing practices and advance compliance with FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act. The workshops are hosted by major dairy processors including Leprino Foods, Sargento Foods, Land O'Lakes, Darigold, and Tillamook Cheese.
• Imagine EntertainmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2026Imagine Entertainment partnered with Land O'Lakes to launch the Modern Rural Collective initiative, which aims to modernize portrayals of rural America in film and TV by providing a 25-page toolkit with statistics and anecdotes for producers. The initiative was discussed at the 'Reimagining Rural America Through Storytelling' session at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2026.
• Second Harvest HeartlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 December 2025Land O'Lakes Dairy Foods and the Minnesota Vikings announced a game-day food donation initiative during the Vikings-Packers game on January 4, where Land O'Lakes donated one ton of food to Second Harvest Heartland for every point the Vikings scored, capped at 20 tons. The initiative builds on Land O'Lakes' recent $1 million investment in food banks and hunger-relief organizations.
• MacKenzie Smith (Food Network Champion)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 December 2025Land O'Lakes partnered with Food Network Champion MacKenzie Smith to share holiday hosting tips aimed at creating a more welcoming celebration. The tips include micro-tasks for guests, decorating with butter cookies, recipe swapping, and making ahead to foster connection and ease hosting.
• Alabama Farmers Cooperative and GreenPoint AgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2025Land O'Lakes partnered with Alabama Farmers Cooperative and GreenPoint Ag to launch AgRogue Growth Partners, an initiative that will invest up to $7 million in each of 10 to 15 companies focused on agricultural technology innovation. The coalition, which also includes four additional retail co-ops from Indiana, Nebraska, and Minnesota, is managed by ag tech investment firm Radicle Growth.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dairy Farmers of America: Largest US dairy cooperative, owning brands like Kemps and Castro Valley. Like Land O'Lakes, it is farmer-owned, processes raw milk into dairy products, and operates a member-owned supply chain across the US.
• Prairie Farms Dairy: Midwest-focused dairy farmer cooperative producing fluid milk, cheese, butter, and ice cream. Closely comparable as another farmer-owned cooperative with regional brand strength in fluid and cultured dairy.
• Schreiber Foods: Large privately held dairy processor specializing in cheese, yogurt, and cream cheese for foodservice and private label retail customers. Comparable to LOL's dairy foods business with similar B2B and private-label exposures.
• Leprino Foods: World's largest mozzarella manufacturer and major private dairy processor serving foodservice and retail private label. Comparable B2B-heavy private dairy model and food-safety workshop presence in LOL's Innovation Center partnerships.
• HP Hood: Privately held US dairy and plant-based beverage company selling fluid milk, cream, ice cream, and dairy alternatives under brands including Hood and Lactaid. Overlaps with LOL's fluid dairy, cream, and plant-based categories.
• Tillamook County Creamery Association: Farmer-owned dairy cooperative producing branded cheese, butter, ice cream, and yogurt with strong consumer brand equity. Closely comparable cooperative model and premium-branded dairy positioning.
• Arla Foods: International farmer-owned dairy cooperative owned by dairy farmers across Northern Europe, producing butter, cheese, and dairy ingredients globally. Closely mirrors Land O'Lakes' cooperative model at international scale.

Broad incumbents

• Saputo Inc. Canadian-headquartered multinational dairy processor producing cheese, fluid milk, and dairy ingredients across North America and globally. Overlaps with LOL's dairy foods portfolio and broader scale ambitions.
• Danone North America: US arm of global Danone, producing dairy (milk, yogurt, coffee creamers) and plant-based products under brands like Silk and So Delicious. Comparable dairy-plus-plant-based portfolio with greater portfolio breadth.
• Kraft Heinz: Major packaged food conglomerate producing processed cheese (Kraft Singles), butter substitutes, and dairy-adjacent products. Competes with Land O'Lakes on retail shelves in dairy/cheese categories at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LandOLakesKtchn
• Facebookfacebook.com/LandOLakes
• Instagraminstagram.com/landolakesktchn
• TikToktiktok.com/@landolakesdairy
• Pinterestpinterest.com/landolakesktchn
• Xx.com/landolakesktchn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LAND O'LAKES