Land O’Lakes Board Chairman Reflects on 2006 Success, Encourages Member Responsibility

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ — Land O’Lakes Chairman of the Board Pete Kappelman today reflected on the positive business results achieved by the national food and agricultural cooperative in 2006 and encouraged member-owners to build on this success by committing to and participating in the cooperative system.

“Our theme this year is Cultivating Progress and, during today’s reports, you will hear a story of progress in terms of business performance, financial results and the balance sheet,” Kappelman told approximately 1,500 delegates and visitors gathered at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Kappelman reminded the audience, “We must never forget that we are the owners of this cooperative system. And, we also must never forget that with ownership comes opportunity and obligation.”

The Board Chairman stressed that ownership brings members the opportunity to shape Land O’Lakes to meet their needs and share in system success, and went on to highlight key responsibilities of cooperative owners:

    — Being informed and involved in the system’s leadership and governance;    — Dedication to effective two-way communication;    — Recognition of the importance of financial performance and balance       sheet strength in determining the cooperative’s ability to deliver       value to members; and    — An obligation to maintain a strong system focus.    

“Our most important strength remains our ability to act as a system … to work together and to recognize that in order to cultivate ongoing progress and build enduring success, we must build shared success,” Kappelman said. “That is the kind of cooperative I see in Land O’Lakes today — and the kind of cooperative I envision for the future.”

Land O’Lakes is a national, farmer-owned food and agricultural cooperative, with annual sales of more than $7 billion. Land O’Lakes does business in all 50 states and more than 50 countries. It is a leading marketer of a full line of dairy-based consumer, foodservice and food ingredient products across the United States; serves its international customers with a variety of food and animal feed ingredients; and provides farmers and local cooperatives with an extensive line of agricultural supplies (feed, seed, crop nutrients and crop protection products) and services.

Land O’Lakes

CONTACT: Lydia Botham, +1-651-481-2123, Dave Karpinski, +1-651-481-2360,both of Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Web site: http://www.landolakesinc.com/