MFA, Land O’Lakes align innovation efforts

Through a strategic alliance announced Sept. 27, MFA Incorporated and Land O’Lakes, Inc., will be sharing expertise and resources in technology, data and innovative solutions.

Under this new agreement, the focus from both companies is to find ways to better serve their respective members as technology progresses and farmers seek to engage in new market spaces. Minnesota-based Land O’Lakes is a premier agribusiness company and one of the nation’s largest cooperatives, and the collaboration with MFA will leverage the collective strength of these two leading farmer-owned organizations.

“One of the principles of a cooperative is to collaborate with like-minded organizations,” said Jason Weirich, executive vice president of operations at MFA Incorporated. “With our regional expertise and the scale of the Land O’Lakes cooperative, we can drive real change.”

The initial collaboration will center around Truterra, a market-leading sustainability platform developed by Land O’ Lakes. Truterra’s programs support and reward the transition to conservation agronomy practices on the farm. Weirich describes this partnership as “an exciting opportunity for MFA and our growers to participate in an increasingly integral space for agriculture.”

Along with Truterra, other joint efforts between MFA and Land O’Lakes will include: 

•    New market development: Investing in innovative products, services and insights that support the members of both cooperatives.

•    Data management: Decades of nationwide data combined with the localized insights that retailers can deliver, layered with advanced artificial intelligence capabilities that promote predictability and privacy, will help growers be more productive, profitable and sustainable.

•    Asset utilization: Creating a more efficient and strategic distribution network to reduce supply chain costs and support investments in innovation and new markets.

“So many of the pain points faced by farmers, ag retailers and others in our community can only be overcome by working together,” said Brett Bruggeman, COO, Land O’Lakes, Inc. “Teaming with MFA Incorporated, we can strengthen the economic prosperity of our shared businesses and communities and help address some of the greatest obstacles in feeding the world.”    

Photo cutline: Adam Jones, left, MFA district sales manager who previously served as MFA conservation specialist, and agronomy intern Addie Thessen pull soil samples for measuring stored carbon levels in this Missouri field.

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