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. 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?
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