Land O’Lakes, the Fortune 500 company best known for its butter, sees the protein craze as an opportunity to improve the fortunes of its dairy farmers, who have spent the past few years dealing with an intersecting web of crises across the American food system, as I reported in an award-winning feature last fall. Protein is a bright spot in dairy—and Land O’Lakes’ 1,100 dairy farmer member-owners could be poised to turn their milk into a more lucrative product.

Last month, Land O’Lakes announced a strategic investment in its largest dairy processing facility, in California, to produce ultra-filtered milk, with production increasing as much as 30%. The plant will eventually produce milk protein as an ingredient that can be used in other products (and that farmers can sell for a higher price than other dairy products). Protein bars, muscle milk, protein-powered yogurt—Land O’Lakes wants in. “We’re really looking at—how can we be bringing new capacity into the market so that they can grow their generational operation?” says Heather Anfang, who leads the company’s dairy foods business. “Protein is really providing a great opportunity for us to do that.”

Anfang’s exec role is a critical one within the $16 billion-in-revenue company led by CEO Beth Ford. Anfang, a 26-year vet of Land O’Lakes, is the one searching for ways to help farmers make more money and invest those earnings back into their farms. At the same time, she’s reminding consumers that they can get protein the old-fashioned way, via dairy products like cheese and yogurt.

Indeed, sales of other dairy products have been way up in recent years even as milk consumption declined. In the protein era, Anfang is shouting the benefits of milk protein over whey protein. “It has a slower digestibility through your system, so it promotes longer satiety,” she explains.

The dairy expert doesn’t think that protein has peaked—good news for farmers and every emerging protein brand. “If we’re making an investment, we believe in this as being a long-term trend,” she says. “I don’t think we’re at the top yet.”

Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com

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ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

Alex Cooper x Babylist. The Call Her Daddy host, who is pregnant with her first child, has been clearing out other expectant moms' baby registries on social media. Babylist—the dominant registry business, nearing $1 billion in revenue and with Rent the Runway founder Jenn Hyman incoming as CEO—just got in on the action. The "multi-phase partnership" will help Cooper as her fanbase follows her into a new stage of life. 

Redfin x childcare. Another interesting partnership: the real estate portal partnered with the childcare marketplace Winnie to add childcare info to home listings. Home shoppers will be able to see info on nearby daycare and preschool options. 

The mysterious Marta Ortega Pérez. The family behind Zara parent company Inditex rarely give interviews. But to their 163,000 employees, especially those in Spain, Ortega Pérez and her father are "present and visible every day." The nonexecutive chair of the Inditex board was No. 25 on this year's Most Powerful Women list. This rare profile in Vogue Business gives a glimpse into how she's "elevated" Zara while remaining true to the premise that "beautiful things, well-designed things, shouldn’t be only for certain people." 

What's going on with the Lakers? After Bob Iger and Josh Kushner bought the NBA team for a record-setting $12.5 billion, it was reported that the Buss family would sell their remaining 17.8% stake. But now it's reported that Jeanie Buss, the team's governor and one of the most influential women in men's sports, is opposing her siblings' effort to sell. 

ON MY RADAR

Silicon Valley execs are tech fans. Just not for their own kids NYT

Céline Dion goes on Harper's Bazaar

Why do boards keep giving misbehaving CEOs second chances? WSJ

PARTING WORDS

"They said you can’t come home again, but here I am."

— Rosie O'Donnell, starting a guest-hosting stint on Jimmy Kimmel Live (just as ABC sues the FCC)