Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN announces acquisition of Agren

In major step forward for on-farm soil health, acquisition builds on prior work by Agren and Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN to deliver best-in-class precision conservation planning

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Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Jul 31, 2018, 15:43 ET

ARDEN HILLS, Minn., July 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN announced today Land O'Lakes, Inc. has acquired substantially all assets of Agren, Inc., an Iowa-based software company whose soil health and conservation planning software is already helping Land O'Lakes lead the way on innovative conservation stewardship. The Agren business and tools will be operated by the Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN division.

Land O'Lakes, Inc. has held minority equity in Agren since 2016, teaming with the company to offer precision conservation software for farmers. These tools, delivered through the SoilVantage platform, will now provide farmers and agricultural retailers with an industry-leading, comprehensive soil health platform from Land O'Lakes.

"This acquisition bolsters our goal at Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN to be industry leaders in conservation stewardship and sustainability, helping ensure Land O'Lakes and the farmers we serve can lead the way on stewardship using the latest technology in our industry," said Matt Carstens, senior vice president of Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN. "By strategically designing conservation practices and visualizing results using these innovative tools, retailers and farmers can maximize conservation benefits while keeping productive land in farming. It's one more way Land O'Lakes is leading in the conservation arena."

Carstens said the tools complement existing capabilities offered by Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN and WinField United and will help growers and dairy farmers safeguard water quality, reduce erosion and improve soil health.

Since 2016, the software has played a key role in the Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN suite of tools to help farmers install best-in-class sustainability practices, customized to each operation's unique landscape and needs. Last year, BufferBuilder was approved by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources as an alternative practice option under Minnesota's waterway buffer law.

Terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed. To learn more about Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN, visit landolakessustain.com.

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.
Land O'Lakes, Inc., one of America's premier agribusiness and food companies, is a member-owned cooperative with industry-leading operations that span the spectrum from agricultural production to consumer foods. With 2017 annual sales of $14 billion, Land O'Lakes is one of the nation's largest cooperatives, ranking 216 on the Fortune 500. Building on a legacy of more than 97 years of operation, Land O'Lakes today operates some of the most respected brands in agribusiness and food production including LAND O LAKES^® Dairy Foods, Purina Animal Nutrition, WinField United and Land O'Lakes SUSTAIN^TM. The company does business in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. Land O'Lakes, Inc. corporate headquarters are located in Arden Hills, Minn.

SOURCE Land O'Lakes, Inc.