Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford Wants You to Eat More Butter

There may be no CEO in America with a resume quite like Beth Ford’s. The leader of Land O’Lakes has worked in publishing, consumer goods, and oil, and now runs one of the country’s leading farming collectives. She is on a mission to explain to Americans the joy and challenges of the farmers who make our food, and to tell the world about what agriculture means for American security and prosperity. As harvest season across the country got underway, Ford joined THE CEO MOMENT, our interview series for the world’s most influential business leaders, to talk about her career path, the state of the American farmer, and whether or not we’re eating more butter.

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What were your early jobs like?
I taught tennis. I “walked beans,” meaning getting the weeds out of a bean field. I was a house painter, and then I was a janitor. I would have different buildings or toilets or things like that I needed to clean. My jobs were very manual, and I was grateful for the work and I certainly understood the importance of it.

You ran a barge dock in Boston for Mobil. What did you learn?
I was a night warehouse foreman. I was the dock foreman in Boston. You learn about people–you know, some very funny, funny moments. 

What is a funny moment on a barge dock in Boston?
I'd say, “Tommy, you need to be on time and we need to put in your teeth.” I don't mean to be dismissive about it because it's the joy and the mess of the human condition. 

How are farmers doing in America today?
This is the most expensive crop that anybody's ever put in. Fertilizer prices [are] up, diesel is up…steel, everything. They're working under tremendous pressure and a lot of volatility.

What do people get wrong about farmers?
I fear that there's just a lack of knowledge, because we're a land of plenty….Don't we all agree food is important? Don't we agree it is a strength of America that we have food self-sufficiency? If we agree [about] that, please don't see this as a political discussion. Instead, this is a business-investment discussion. It is a national-security discussion. 

I also want to say to folks in urban areas, people aren't trying to flee to the coast. Folks are happy in their towns. They deserve investment. They need investment. It is to all of our advantage to have this. I constantly quote that 19% of the population in rural areas, they comprise 44% of the military. They're investing in this country in so many ways.

Two-thirds of farm workers are non-citizen immigrants. Can we build a sensible, clear immigration policy in this country?
Immigration is a tremendous lever for economic growth through the United States for businesses. We did an analysis that showed that the GDP could grow 3.3% over a trillion dollars in the next 10 years if we get some immigration reform.

Are we eating more butter today? 
Oh, yes. We continue to. We’re eating more cheese as well, although we still trail the Europeans, so everybody should get busy with that.

We take credit for that since we once put a big beautiful swirl of butter on the cover with the line, “Eat butter.”
I’m so grateful.