Meet Beth Ford, who earned $2 an hour detasseling corn before becoming the first openly gay woman to lead a Fortune 500 company

Beth Ford was earning $2 an hour detasseling corn in Iowa during the 1970s, long before she became the chief executive of Land O’Lakes. In August 2018, she took charge of the farmer-owned cooperative, becoming the first openly gay woman to lead a Fortune 500 company.

Her career stretched across several industries before bringing her back to agriculture. Ford’s appointment marked a milestone in corporate leadership, while her experience in different businesses gave her a background that extended well beyond the food industry.

Beth Ford Started Her Career in Iowa

Ford grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, as the fifth of eight children. She was 12 when she took her first job detasseling corn, earning $2 an hour for the work.


Her professional journey later took her into the corporate world. After college, she began her business career at Mobil Oil, working in operational settings that included tanker and barge docks, trucking facilities and manufacturing sites.

Ford went on to work across six industries and seven companies, including oil production and publishing. The variety of roles gave her experience in different parts of business before she joined Land O’Lakes in 2011.

How Beth Ford Became CEO of Land O’Lakes

Ford advanced through the leadership ranks at Land O’Lakes, eventually becoming the cooperative’s chief operating officer. The company named her president and CEO in 2018. With her appointment taking effect on August 1.

Her promotion made her the first openly gay woman to lead a Fortune 500 company and the appointment attracted attention as a significant moment in American business, putting Ford in a position few women had held before.

Land O’Lakes operates across the food and agriculture industries. As a farmer-owned cooperative, it connects agricultural production with the broader food supply chain, serving farmers as well as the businesses involved in getting food to consumers.

In an October 2018 interview with Fortune, Ford discussed the company’s mission and the challenge of feeding a growing global population while using less land and water. She also pointed to the importance of tracking products through the supply chain as consumers seek more information about where their food comes from.

The Challenges Facing American Farmers

Ford’s role at Land O’Lakes has also put her close to the difficulties facing farmers across the United States.

In an October 2019 interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes, she discussed the pressures created by trade disputes, low commodity prices and extreme weather. These challenges have made it harder for some farmers to maintain their businesses, with some facing the possibility of losing farms that had remained in their families for generations.

Ford even discussed the growing role of technology in agriculture. Tools such as satellite imagery and predictive models can help farmers make decisions about their fields, bringing new methods into an industry shaped by weather, markets and production costs. She said, "We use satellite technology. We use predictive models. We use all of the things that probably other businesses use but that people are unfamiliar with in terms of utilization in agriculture."

These issues are closely connected for Land O’Lakes to its work across agriculture and food production. The cooperative’s business depends on the farming communities that supply the wider food system.