Update: See results, a recap video and press coverage of the event here.

It’s not every day the Super Bowl comes to town. As a leader in food and ag community, we are taking full advantage of this opportunity to raise awareness of Land O’Lakes’ full farm-to-fork business model and the cooperative’s position as an innovative leader in modern agriculture.

On the Thursday before the game, Land O’Lakes Farm Bowl will pit teams of current and former professional football players and Land O’Lakes farmers against each other in a series of on-farm experiences and light-hearted, farm-themed challenges to demonstrate the skill, determination and grit required to succeed as a farmer today. Event participants include Minnesota Vikings’ tight end Kyle Rudolph, Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, former players Greg Jennings and Jason Brown, and several Land O’Lakes member-owners.

At an official kick-off event on Monday, Land O’Lakes introduced Farm Bowl to the world with the help of the Minnesota Vikings, GENYOUth, Midwest Dairy and Minnesota Super Bowl 2018. Land O’Lakes President and CEO Chris Policinski did his part to help set the stage.

“Super Bowl LII offers an exciting stage to convey the importance of farming to feeding the world, and to show how Land O’Lakes’ member owners are impacting the entire food chain, farm to fork, from our iconic butter brand and far beyond,” he said. “Less than two percent of the population touches farming and, as the voice of the farmer, we feel an obligation to tell their important story.”

Watch: Facebook Live broadcast

Also: Watch the Vikings' Kyle Rudolph and Trae Waynes talk Land O'Lakes Farm Bowl with WCCO's Jason DeRusha

Why Farm Bowl?

Farm Bowl is all about elevating the story of modern agriculture and Land O’Lakes’ leadership position to an audience that otherwise doesn’t know us or farming well. The event will help raise awareness and interest in our farm-to-fork breadth of branded products and services to new audiences of customers and consumers.

Today, less than two percent of the U.S. population touches farming. As a farmer-owned cooperative, it’s our job to tell their important story. Many people still consider farming to be an antiquated profession when, in reality, it’s driven by innovation and technology. From self-driving tractors and drones to test kitchens and sustainability, food and agriculture are often at the forefront of modern technology. Through Land O’Lakes Farm Bowl and our participation in activities surrounding the big game, we have the opportunity to showcase the farmers who help us to feed human progress.

Get involved

If you’re in the Minneapolis area on February 1, we’d love to have you in the audience for Farm Bowl. More information about attending the event will be available at a later date.

For those who can’t make it to Minneapolis, you can still get involved by helping us spread the word. We will be doing a number of digital promotions at www.TheFarmBowl.com and our various social media platforms. Please help us by sharing, liking, commenting, and telling your friends!