Rooted In Tomorrow

A special Tuesday release as we kick off season six of Rooted In Tomorrow.  Recorded live at Land O’Lakes headquarters, this special episode features Senior VP and lifelong dairy farmer Pete Kappelman as he explores today’s farm economy, cooperative resilience, and the future of U.S. agriculture. From surviving barn fires to navigating market volatility, Pete shares powerful insights on rural comm...

A special Veterans Day re-release! When military service ends, where do veterans find their next mission? Discover how the SkillBridge program is helping service members transition to civilian careers while maintaining their sense of purpose and community. In this episode, we explore the inspiring stories of veteran Col. Patrick Schlichenmeyer who found a home at Land O’Lakes, Inc.  Learn how Land...

We're re-releasing one of our most popular episodes of season five with Land O'Lakes member, Tyler Ribeiro, who you can find on Instagram @CADairyDad Tyler Ribeiro is a fourth-generation farmer from Tulare, California. He’s amassed nearly 80,000 social media followers sharing life on the farm and daily moments in his rural community. He joins host Kim Olson to talk about the work being d...

After its fifth season, Rooted In Tomorrow is taking a pause for new episodes. Rate and review the podcast in Spotify or Apple. Catch up on all the previous episodes wherever you find your podcasts.  Be sure to subscribe to receive push alerts when we drop new episodes! Check out Rootedintomorrow.com for more stories of incredible farmers! Follow Land O'Lakes Inc at: Facebook: www.facebook.co...

In this episode, meet Tonja Engen. She’s a Culinary Retail Product and Content Manager at Land O’Lakes and, works closely with our Culinary Center. Hear how our team of culinary experts work together to identify food trends, develop and test new recipes featuring our dairy products, and create social media content that gets consumers excited to cook at home.  Check out Rootedintomorrow.com for mor...

Gut health isn't just a human fad. It’s a years-long trend that has proven to have major impacts on your overall well-being. In this episode hear how more than a decade-long study has led to major breakthroughs in the microbiome for the animals we love.  Guests are Purina Animal Nutritions’ Mary Beth Gordon, Senior Director of Equine Technical Innovation, and Robert Jacobs, Research Manager,...

Biologicals are a form of crop protection derived from natural materials or living organisms that are rapidly growing in popularity. Guests  Glenda Gehl, Vice President of R&D Crop Inputs at Land O’Lakes, and, Greg Culp, Vice President of Agronomy, Sales and Marketing at Mercer Landmark, join us to discuss how helping farmers sort through the numerous options and jump straight to a short list...

In this episode, we delve into the power and value of the cooperative model and how it benefits members and rural communities. We discuss why a certain tax policy that helps farmers and rural cooperatives operate is at risk. Hear from a family farmer, Walt Moore whose farm has been in his family for 112 years. And, Carl Dickinson, the CEO of Central Valley Ag Cooperative in rural Nebraska. Check o...

Land O’Lakes is expanding! Into more cheese offerings. There’s a unique relationship between the farmers who own us, the cheese we produce, and you ultimately buy at the grocery store. In this episode, hear from Wisconsin farmer-owner Angie Feider and Dairy Foods Marketing Vice President Angela Pengelly supporting rural vitality.  Check out Rootedintomorrow.com for more stories of incredible farme...

What’s got Gen Z interested in agriculture? Hear two very different stories from Land O’Lakes interns who decided to pursue a career in agriculture. Plus, learn how we’re creating new early talent programs for a younger generation to land a career and make an impact in ag.  Check out Rootedintomorrow.com for more stories of incredible farmers! Follow Land O'Lakes Inc at: Facebook: www.faceboo...

Season four of the Rooted In Tomorrow podcast is in the books! Thanks for listening and sharing the stories of our farmers and their communities.  While we plan, catch up on all the previous episodes of Rooted In Tomorrow. Subscribe on Spotify and Apple to receive push alerts if we share a new episode.  Catch you back here soon! Check out Rootedintomorrow.com for more stories of incredible farmers...

In this episode, Land O’Lakes Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Jason Trusley joins host Kim Olson. Inside baseball? Not here. We try to break down the path forward for our cooperative system and what it will take for us to continue supporting America’s farmers, ag retailers, communities, and consumers for another 100 years. Check out Rootedintomorrow.com for more stories of incredi...

Weddings, workshops, quality beef, and pick-your-own produce—Derek and Nicole Sippel are redefining farm tourism with their “Art of Agriculture” in Southeastern Wisconsin.  Check out Rootedintomorrow.com for more stories of incredible farmers! Follow Land O'Lakes Inc at: Facebook: www.facebook.com/LandOLakesInc Instagram: @LandOLakesInc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/landolakesinc...

This episode highlights the most impactful areas of financial giving the past year and how it’s supporting the communities our cooperative members call home.  Each year, Land O’Lakes, Inc. donates a portion of its pretax profits to the Land O’Lakes Foundation in addition to investing corporate dollars through community relations. Morgan Kinross Wright joins Kim as guest in this episode. She serves...

Consumers generally have positive attitudes about cooperatives. They are less sure about their level of understanding of what one is, how their purchases benefit members, and how an ownership structure is different from other business models. In this episode, Chris Pearson joins host Kim Olson. At the time of this episode recording, Pearson was the Vice President of Crop Nutrition and cooperative...

We're rethinking the norms of manufacturing by offering flexible work environments at our facilities. In this episode learn how flexibility supplemental income, and simply choosing your own hours to work can impact consumers, which is better for our cooperative, is making a difference. Guests are Yone Dewberry Chief Supply Chain Officer at Land O'Lakes, Inc, and George Weathermon, a Land...

A new season of Rooted In Tomorrow kicks off with Alice Crothers. Alice helps run Long Green Farms in Rising Sun, Maryland, with her husband Caleb. Alice was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, and met Caleb in college. The two ditched their lives and jobs in the city and joined Caleb’s family farming operation in 2015. Their conservation and Farmers On The Rise awards have helped make them leaders in...

Season three of Rooted In Tomorrow is wrapped up. We'll be back soon with brand new episodes, new guests, and different topics. Check out all our stories from Land O'Lakes, Inc. Be sure to leave us a rating and review for the podcast on Spotify and Apple podcasts.  Check out Rootedintomorrow.com for more stories of incredible farmers! Follow Land O'Lakes Inc at: Facebook: www.facebo...

In this episode, we get the inside scoop about the exciting research happening now at the Purina Animal Nutrition Center that’s helping unlock the greatest potential of every animal and support animal health. Animal immune systems are essential for fighting off flu, or disease. Not unlike any human. Our guest in this episode is Dr. Peter Karnezos. Peter is the Senior Director of feed additive rese...

In this episode hear how an Indiana corn field is being "turned on" with technology technology tools.  24-hour data collection and sampling is helping local farmers act on the future of food and sustainability.  Guests on this episode are, Ranveer Chandra Chief Technology Officer, Agri-Food at Microsoft. Teddy Bekele, Chief Technology Officer at Land O'Lakes, Inc. Drew Garretson, Ch...

In this episode, Kim sits down with global futurist and keynote speaker Jack Uldrich, who recently inspired farmers and cooperative members at Land O’Lakes, Inc.’s midyear meeting. Jack dives into how major consumer and industry shifts are reshaping the future—and how emerging technologies like large language models (LLMs) and geospatial intelligence (GEO) are driving unprecedented change in agric...

The annual Mid-Year meeting at Land O’Lakes brings farmers and thought leaders together to discuss the future and current state of agriculture. In this episode we’re pulling back the curtain on what is typically a closed door discussion.  Land O’Lakes, Inc. CEO Beth Ford moderates a discussion with three farmers to talk about the importance of telling their stories to consumers, policy makers and...

Sustainable farming practices are essential for modern farmers to adopt on their land. However, changing an on-farm practice can cost a family farm a fortune or, put their crops and profits at risk. Doing the right thing for the environment also means not doing the wrong thing to ensure their family farm survives.  In this episode, Brett Bruggeman, President of Winfield United joins us to talk abo...

In this episode, we break down the challenges facing the dairy industry and the ways Land O’Lakes continues to innovate and adapt to meet the moment on behalf of our farmer-owners.. Our guest for the episode is  Heather Anfang, Senior Vice President of US Dairy Foods at Land O’Lakes, Inc. Get to know some of our Farmers at LandOLakes.com/our-farmers/ Check out Rootedintomorrow.com for more stories...

Rural communities feed the nation — but do their voices reach the halls of power? In this episode of Rooted In Tomorrow, host Kim Olson dives into how Land O’Lakes, Inc. Government Relations empowers farmers to advocate for themselves, influence policy, and bridge the gap between the farm and the grocery store. Joining the conversation are Gretchen Rockstad, a Minnesota farmer and member of the Po...