Land O’Lakes takes its role in supporting the communities where its employees and cooperative member-owners live and work very seriously. 

Core to our cooperative’s mission is to make sure that everyone has access to a safe and plentiful food supply. There have been countless ways in which we’ve gone about carrying out that mission, and one of the most successful programs for more than a decade has been the First Run program. 

Started in 2010 with Feeding America, the First Run program launched to help in national hunger relief efforts. This past year, Land O’Lakes donated 297,675 pounds of Land O’Lakes macaroni and cheese through First Run. Over the 14-year history of the program, we’ve donated nearly 7.3 million pounds of product to food banks across the country. 

 "As a farmer-owned cooperative, Land O'Lakes, Inc is deeply committed to hunger relief. This effort begins locally in the communities that our members and employees call home, many of them rural." said Sheilah Stewart, SVP & General Counsel, Land O’Lakes, Inc. "We are honored to help our Feeding America food bank partners get fresh, nutritious food directly to the families who need it most." 

The First Run program is also unique in that it serves as an extension of our cooperative structure. Donations are primarily invested in regions where Land O’Lakes member-owners are located, providing them with the opportunity to serve as the face of our donation. Dozens of members were in attendance across eight First Run donations this year. Jeremy Wilhelm, CEO of Frontier Cooperative, attended the First Run donation in Lincoln, Nebraska, this past April. 

“The experience was truly eye opening, to see the vast amount of food in the warehouse, the resources it takes to gather and distribute the food at the Food Bank of Lincoln, and how long of lines they get each time they have a drive-thru distribution,” Jeremy says. “It shows you that hunger is not just third-world problem.” 

Josh Zonneveld, owner of Zonneveld Dairies, attended a First Run donation in October 2023 and says the First Run program plays an important role in helping maintain philanthropy as a core value. 

“Throughout the years, we have always strived to find ways to support our community in the most impactful way, and it’s great to be a part of a co-op that has a similar desire,” Josh says. “The First Run program is about donating fresh product right out of our manufacturing plants straight to food banks in need. This shows that philanthropy is part of our business model, not just something we do opportunistically.” 

Josh says the First Run program has had an incredible impact on so many communities across the country, including his. 

“Most of our members live and operate their businesses in rural communities, so to be a part of a co-op that not only supports our livelihood, but the livelihood of our communities makes me feel appreciative and proud to be a part of Land O Lakes,” Josh says. “Land O’Lakes truly understands the important role thriving rural communities play not just in our co-ops success, but the success of our country.” 

Heading into the program’s 16th year, Jeremy says Frontier, and so many other member organizations like it, remain dedicated to serving the needs of its members, their families and their communities. 

“The First Run Program exemplifies the ongoing dedication of corporate responsibility and community engagement,” Jeremy says. “We need to tackle the critical issues of hunger head-on and realize that we can make a significant difference in the lives of those in need.”