Land O’Lakes Inc. – 2022: The year of innovation for Land O’Lakes butter and cheese products

You noticed it at the grocery store. Farmers felt it within their operations. The cost of buying and producing products skyrocketed this year. Yet despite inflationary costs and historically high markets, Land O’Lakes, Inc. never backed away from our commitment to create a market for our farmer-members’ milk and bring you innovative new products. Here’s a look into the future and successful innovations from 2022:

Our bread and butter is now cheese

In a move that just seems to make sense, Land O Lakes® Cheese can now be found in the dairy case section in select regions, including Minnesota and Wisconsin. In late 2021, Land O’Lakes launched a cheese line with 12 products – including shredded cheese, chunk cheese and snack cheese. Wisconsin farmer-owners supply the milk that is shipped to the Land O’Lakes Kiel, Wisconsin plant, where it is made into dairy case cheese.
The cheese line was first offered in Cub Foods stores in Minnesota and later started rolling out in Wisconsin and the Northeast region in 2022. There are plans for additional expansion in the new year. More than a dozen new cheese items will be added to the line and should be ready to start shipping in early-to-mid 2023.

Queso so good, you’ll double dip

In early 2022, we launched a queso for grocery store shelves. For years, Land O Lakes® Queso Bravo® Cheese Dip has been the #1 selling refrigerated cheese sauce in foodservice by volume in the country. Now, families living in the Southeast region can have that same premium, restaurant-quality queso at home.
Land O Lakes® Queso Dip is sold in two, 8-ounce microwavable bowls and blends white cheddar shreds with red peppers and jalapenos. Currently, over two-thirds of refrigerated queso sales originate from the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, which is why Land O’Lakes chose to launch in this area to start. In 2023, the goal is to get our delicious queso into more grocery stores in the Southeast region and eventually expand to more regions.

Have a ball with Butter Balls

This new product went viral on social media over the summer – Land O Lakes® Butter Balls. Inspired by consumers who picked up cooking during the pandemic, this first-of-its-kind product for retail shelves offers Land O Lakes® Butter in a convenient, ½-tablespoon size that makes cooking easier than ever.  
Butter Balls are now available in several locations across the Midwest including Kroger, Meijer, Hy-Vee, Lunds & Byerlys, Kowalskis, Super Target and more. They have been such a hit already, there are plans to expand distribution to the Northeast, Mid-South and Southeast regions next year. Discussions are also underway to offer flavored Butter Balls in the future.

More to come in 2023…stay tuned

Not only will more consumers be able to get their hands on these new products in 2023, but you can expect more product launches in the new year. One such launch includes an exciting, new, limited-time flavored butter spread set to hit store shelves in the spring.
“Seasonal flavored butter spreads like Maple Me Crazy™ and Pumpkin Pie Spice create excitement, buzz and basket-building each fall when they hit the shelves, so we wanted to build upon this strategy with a new, limited-time offering,” says Sophie Cavanagh, Marketing Manager, Retail Butter and Spreads Innovation. “The butter innovation team has built a disruptive, relevant innovation pipeline focused on opportunities within cooking. Our goals are to engage with new users, create new occasions and experiences, and build total category growth.”