2011 March/April Issue - Land O'Lakes Inc.

25 Years of CooperativeServiceEach year, Land O’Lakes recognizeslocal co-op general managers and CEOsfor service of 25 years or more to thecooperative system. During the 2011Annual Meeting Cooperative ManagersLuncheon, 10 members were recognizedfor their service.Board member Mark Clark of Rollingstone, Minn., and Co-op Leadership 101 participant Deborah Errett ofUrbana, Ohio, dig into the snacks during a break.For the second year, all activities were held atthe Hilton Minneapolis hotel, with more than 50members participating in the Growing Our Future:Co-op Leadership 101 Conference, designedas an introduction to cooperative leadership,principles, history and involvement. ■Glickman Addresses“Critical Time” inAgricultureTo Find Out MoreLearn more about the Annual Meeting andwatch videos of meeting presentations atwww.landolakesinc.com. Click 2011 AnnualMeeting Video Recaps under "Quick Links."Former U.S. Secretary of AgricultureDan Glickman gave a keynote address atthe Annual Meeting, covering a wide rangeof topics. Here are some highlights:Economics of Food Production: “Theera of cheap food has come to an end,”Glickman said. “Consider the rising demandin China, India and many parts of thedeveloping world; a dietary shift towardmeat, dairy and vegetables; increased useof corn as a fuel; population growth in theworld; and the falling dollar. We are in for along period of sustained higher prices andgreater supply problems with respect topopulation issues of the world.”Focus on Policy Intensifies: The focuson agriculture and food policy is intensifying– “now nearing the top of the worldagenda, along with such issues as nationalsecurity, terrorism, energy and education,”Glickman said.“On one hand, it’s good to raise theawareness and importance of these issuesamong the broader public. On the otherhand, there will be a lot more people playingin this sandbox,” he said, indicating theimportance of being engaged in agriculturepolicy and helping educate those who influencethe policy.The Role of Technology: Glickmanechoed other speakers when he noted theimportance of technological innovation.“We need to pursue all the technologicalopportunities available to us – from newexotic technologies, genetic engineeringand biotechnology, as well as more traditionaltechnologies, like better irrigationtechniques, more examination of postharvestloss, and traditional seeds as wellas hybrids.” ■Kent ApplerViafieldMarble Rock, IowaKirk CarlsonRoaring Fork ValleyCo-opCarbondale, Co.Dan DeRoucheyBerthold FarmersElevator Co.Berthold, N.D.Jerry FuchsCreative EnergyJamestown, N.D.Jimmy RoppoloFarmersCooperativeEl Campo, TexasAlan ScherrFarmers Union OilCompanyMohall, N.D.George SecorSunriseCooperativeFremont, OhioRoger ShawDedhamCooperativeAssociationDedham, IowaJoseph VarilekCo-op Farmers, Inc.Tyndall, S.D.Steve ZutzAgri-PartnersCooperativeBrillion, Wis.Kent Appler and Steve Zutz were presentedwith commemorative watches at the AnnualMeeting for their 25 years of service. Fromleft to right: Chris Policinski, president andCEO of Land O’Lakes; Kent Appler, Viafield;Steve Zutz, Agri-Partners Cooperative;and Karen Grabow, senior vice presidentof Business Development Services andGovernment Relations for Land O’Lakes.www.landolakesinc.com MARCH/APRIL 2011 27