Primary navigation

Food Production & Agriculture

We hope you're hungry. There's a lot to take in.

Minnesota's leading food products sector sprouted in the state because the industry is rooted in our agricultural history. From farm to table, Minnesota is a food production and agriculture powerhouse.

Agricultural production and processing industries generate over $106 billion annually in total economic impact and support 388,134 jobs.

It started with a seed

Our agricultural economy

  • Generated more than $24.5 billion in agricultural sales in 2023.
    • The highest valued commodities included corn, soybeans and hogs.
  • Exported about $9.1 billion worth of goods.
  • Ranks 5th in crops and 7th in total agricultural production.
  • Ranks 4th compared to other states in terms of total agricultural exports.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2025

Top Agricultural Products

  • agricultural-products-2025
  • 1st in sugar beets, turkeys raised, green peas
  • 2nd in hogs, sweet corn for processing
  • 3rd in soybeans, sunflower, canola, dry beans, oats
  • 3rd in spring wheat
  • 4th in corn, canola
  • 5th in crop production
  • 6th in meat animals, cheese
  • 6th in agricultural production
  • 7th in wheat, barley, honey
  • 8th in dairy milk, snap beans
  • 10th in potatoes, rye

Source: Minnesota Department of Agriculture

Our top export commodities include soybeans, corn, feed grains and processed feed, and pork.

A Leader in Food Innovation

Minnesota leads the nation in food patents per capita, is fourth in food-product-related patents per capita – and has long been at the forefront of research and innovation in agriculture, food production and food safety.

Global Giants

Minnesota is one of the top producers of food in the country. Three of the top 13 food companies in the U.S. by food sales are based here: General Mills, Cargill and Hormel. Source Food Processing's Top 100 – 2023

  • Headquarters for Fortune 500 food giants General Mills, CHS, Land O'Lakes, and Hormel
  • Cargill, the largest private company in the country by revenue, is a food company headquartered here.
  • Foreign-owned food companies with significant operations in Minnesota include Kerry, Ornua, and Agropur

Not surprisingly, Minnesota is home to some of the nation's largest agricultural, food production and distribution companies – many with a global reach. Among them:

  • global-food-giantsCargill
  • CHS
  • General Mills
  • Hormel Foods
  • Land O'Lakes
  • Rosen's Diversified
  • Schwan's
  • Jennie-O Turkey Store
  • American Crystal Sugar
  • Michaels Foods

Thriving Startups

A strong field of established firms in an industry often leads to a thriving startup market as well. Our startups succeed by meeting demand with product and distribution innovations.

A few examples of our creative startups who are growing each day:

  • Bizzy Coffee: organic, cold-brew coffee
  • Fybraworks Foods: Fermentation and protein ingredients to create meat substitutes
  • JonnyPops: all-natural frozen fruit confections
  • Local Crate: Kit delivery service that uses locally sourced ingredients
  • Puris: non-GMO, organic pea protein, starch, and fiber
  • Redhead Creamery: artisan cheeses
  • Revol Greens, Living Green Farms: sustainable produce
  • SnoPac: certified organic frozen fruits and vegetables
  • WholeMe: healthy convenience foods

A Workforce Specialized in Food Production

  • 5th in food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators, 260% the national average.
  • 8th in food batchmakers; 84% more concentrated than the national average.
  • 10 in food cooking machine operators and tenders; 55% more concentrated than the national average.

Sector Strengths

Food and Beverage Manufacturing

Food and beverage manufacturing in the state has the most significant employment among all manufacturing industries, with 53,740 jobs in 2024. These industries pay $4.3 billion in earnings.

  • Nearly 1,000 business establishments; nearly 65% are located in Greater Minnesota
  • 54,740 employees statewide, ranking 12th nationally
  • 4th largest agricultural exporting state in the U.S.
  • 5th in value of crops, with in-state suppliers for many product ingredients

Dairy Products and Companies

  • General Mills, a Fortune 500 company, is a major producer of consumer dairy products, including Yoplait and Annie's yogurt.
  • Schwan's, is on Forbes' list of largest private companies and started in-home food delivery services in 1952 delivering ice cream. It remains a prominent manufacturer and retailer of manufactured dairy products.
  • Land O'Lakes, also a Fortune 500 company, ranks as the #1 retail butter brand in the United States.
  • American Dairy Queen, headquartered in Minnesota, has over 6,000 locations in the U.S., Canada, and 20 other countries, through the DQ system of franchisees.
  • Kraft Heinz completed a more than $100 million expansion of its New Ulm, Minn., cheese plant in 2017. The plant produces Velveeta, Kraft Deli Deluxe cheese slices and Handi-Snacks cheese and crackers.

Livestock Production, Animal Health and Research

cows-feedlotMinnesota's strength in animal science is reflected in top rankings in livestock and livestock products nationwide. From animal feeds, to swine genetics, to robotic technologies for agricultural applications, animal science research institutions and companies thrive in Minnesota.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Agriculture Statistics Service, Minnesota ranks:

  • 1st in turkeys raised
  • 2nd in hogs
  • 6th in red meat production
  • 7th in milk cows inventory
  • 8th in cattle on feed

Minnesota is home to the Jennie-O Turkey Store, the largest turkey processor in the nation.

The University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine was ranked the 11th best veterinary school in the country by U.S. News and World Report (2025).

Minnesota's post-secondary institutions grant hundreds of degrees in farm and ranch management and animal-related fields each year.

Minnesota Animal Science Companies

animal-science-companiesOur Animal Science Companies are global leaders in helping feed the people and animals of the world. They test, treat and research all manner of animal health and feed issues.

Research and Development

Minnesota's public and private facilities are at the forefront of research and development, addressing a wide variety of animal health and science concerns:

  • Cargill Animal Nutrition Innovation Campus
  • University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
  • Agriculture Extension at the University of Minnesota fosters research related to poultry, swine, dairy, beef and other livestock
  • Research and Outreach Centers at the University of Minnesota

Innovation Incubator

  • Our agricultural history and strong food industries provide a collaborative ecosystem fostering innovation through public-private partnerships, deep-bench academic and business expertise, and a growing number of business accelerators.

Agricultural Technology

Minnesota's success in agriculture and food production is due to its amazing technology. From machinery to patent development, to IoT, the state is leader in Agriculture and Food technology.

Farm Machinery

Minnesota is a hotspot for agricultural machinery manufacturing. The national average for an area the size of Minnesota size is 1,300 employees, while there are 3,490 in the state, according to Lightcast, 2024.

The state's agricultural manufacturing companies provide all machinery necessary farmers need to succeed.

Top Agricultural Companies Operating in Minnesota

  • Bobcat Co: Excavators, Compact Tractors, Mowers
  • Tafco Equipment Co: Steel truck bodies and level lifts
  • AGCO: Tractors, harvesters, forage blowers, smart farming
  • Mayo Manufacturing: Quality potato and vegetable equipment
  • Agco Engineering Ctr: Engineering services
  • Balzer Inc: Grain carts
  • Schlagel Inc: Handling equipment for grains, feeds and fertilizers
  • Friesen's Inc: Custom engineered systems for food manufacturing
  • Miller Manufacturing Co: Equine, cattle, hog products
  • PALS: Barn design, feed systems
  • Titan Machinery-Shakopee: Agricultural Machinery

Note: Companies with more than $10 million in sales.

Source: Reference Solutions.

Agricultural and Food Patents

Minnesota agricultural and food entities are great innovators, registering a significant number of patents nationwide. Between 2000-2024, ag-food related companies in Minnesota registered a large number of patents:

  • General Mills: 628
  • Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.: 571
  • Cargill: 400
  • AGCO: 123
  • Land O’Lakes: 90

Source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Patents granted to Minnesota as inventor state.

IoT

Minnesota is embracing IoT to manage their farms. From radio frequency animal tracking systems to Ag Intelligent Solutions, the state's farms use technology to thrive. Examples of companies providing IoT technology to farmers in Minnesota and around the globe include:

  • Geissler Corporation: Radio frequency animal tracking systems, cattle handling
  • Land O'Lakes: AgTech platform built on Microsoft Azure to enable intelligent agriculture solutions
  • Summit Envirosolutions: Smart groundwater monitoring and management to optimize water pumping and irrigation in a variety of settings
  • New Boundary Technologies: Remote management of pumps, valves and irrigation systems to conserve water
  • Rowbot: Robotics and automation to optimize planting and fertilizer application
back to top