Welcome to the Land O’Lakes Foundation web site. The Land O’Lakes Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life in communities where Land O’Lakes, Inc. has members, employees, plants and facilities. The Foundation proactively helps rural communities prosper and prepare for tomorrow through seven grassroots giving programs focused on education and youth, human services, civic and art endeavors. The Land O’Lakes Foundation, the charitable arm of Land O’Lakes, Inc., has assumed responsibility for awarding the annual scholarships made in the name of one its esteemed founding executives, the late John Brandt of Litchfield, Minn. Under the agreement, the John Brandt Memorial Foundation is dissolving and will grant all its assets to Land O’Lakes Foundation, designating them for scholarships to graduate students studying the dairy sciences. A 14-member committee of former Brandt Foundation trustees will continue to help select scholarship recipients. John Brandt Memorial Foundation board members approached Land O’Lakes Foundation because they believed the staff could efficiently and effectively continue the scholarship program’s focus on quality and excellence. Land O’Lakes Foundation board members considered and approved the request. “The transition should be an easy one because both organizations share similar roots in that they were founded and organized by Land O’Lakes members and employees, and both have been supported by Land O’Lakes over the years,” said Lydia Botham, executive director of Land O’Lakes Foundation. The Brandt Foundation was created in 1953, shortly after the death of its namesake. Brandt was a charismatic Land O’Lakes chairman and president who served the company for 30 years. He imbedded himself into Land O’Lakes lore by selling 40 million pounds of LAND O LAKES? Butter on a sales trip throughout the East Coast. His efforts ushered in a new system of selling and shipping butter directly to retailers, thus bypassing middlemen and increasing profits for Midwest dairy producers. The Brandt Foundation was created by family and friends to honor Brandt’s memory and assist aspiring graduate students ensure a bright future for the dairy industry. Sixty eight scholarships totaling more than a half million dollars have been awarded since the program’s inception. Brandt Scholarships recipients must attend one of four universities—Iowa State University, the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, South Dakota State University or the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The Land O’Lakes Foundation didn’t get its start until 1996. However, now the larger of the two organizations, it has the staff and resources to help the Brandt Foundation scholarships continue.