Minnesota’s Land O’Lakes Helps Hollywood Rethink Rural America

Started as a cooperative between just over 300 Minnesota creameries in 1921, with the goal of improving quality, consistency, and marketing for its sweet cream butter, the company known today as Land O’Lakes has come a long way from its Upper Midwest roots.

While it remains a farmer owned cooperative, supported by agricultural retailers, its reach has expanded far beyond Minnesota. Headquartered in Arden Hills, Land O’Lakes now operates in all 50 states and in more than 60 countries worldwide, while still maintaining its cooperative structure and Midwest identity.

From Minnesota Farms to Hollywood

Now, that reach is extending into Hollywood through a new partnership with Imagine Entertainment, the production company founded by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. The studio is known for films like Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, along with television hits including Arrested Development and 24.

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Together, Land O’Lakes and Imagine Entertainment are developing a new storytelling toolkit designed to change how rural America is portrayed across film and television. The resource is aimed at screenwriters and producers who want more accurate and authentic perspectives, drawing directly from rural residents, including Land O’Lakes member owners.

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Changing the Rural Narrative

Ron Howard, co-founder of Imagine Entertainment, says, "There has long been a tendency to oversimplify rural America, and I look forward to storytellers using the context and practical guidance in this new resource to portray these communities with the depth, energy, and authenticity they deserve."

The toolkit, which is available now, encourages filmmakers to move beyond tired rural clichés. It focuses on building stronger characters, smarter themes, and visuals that reflect real life. The goal is to show the diversity of people, jobs, and communities that make up rural America today, rather than relying on outdated stereotypes.

For a Minnesota based cooperative that began with butter and barns, the move into shaping national storytelling highlights just how far rural voices can reach when they are given the right platform.