FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   Coffey Mark A 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 10/31/2011 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol HORMEL FOODS CORP /DE/ [HRL] (Last) (First) (Middle) 1 HORMEL PLACE 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Vice President 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 11/03/2011 (Street) AUSTIN, MN 55912-3680 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common Stock 3,354.944 (1) D   Common Stock 724.221 I 401(k) Trust Common Stock 3,863.835 I JEPST Trust

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Stock Options (Right to Buy)	  (2)	12/02/2012	Common Stock	4,000	$ 11.175	D	Â
Stock Options (Right to Buy)	  (3)	12/02/2013	Common Stock	4,000	$ 13.465	D	Â
Stock Options (Right to Buy)	  (4)	12/07/2014	Common Stock	4,000	$ 15.035	D	Â
Stock Options (Right to Buy)	  (5)	12/06/2015	Common Stock	4,000	$ 16.37	D	Â
Stock Options (Right to Buy)	  (6)	12/05/2016	Common Stock	4,000	$ 19.355	D	Â
Stock Options (Right to Buy)	  (7)	01/08/2017	Common Stock	200	$ 18.705	D	Â
Stock Options (Right to Buy)	  (8)	12/04/2017	Common Stock	4,000	$ 20.07	D	Â
Stock Options (Right to Buy)	  (9)	12/02/2018	Common Stock	4,000	$ 12.63	D	Â
Stock Options (Right to Buy)	  (10)	12/01/2019	Common Stock	4,000	$ 19.125	D	Â
Stock Options (Right to Buy)	  (11)	12/07/2020	Common Stock	4,000	$ 24.96	D	Â

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Coffey Mark A 1 HORMEL PLACE AUSTIN, MN 55912-3680	Â	Â	  Vice President	Â

Signatures

Mark A. Coffey, By Power of Attorney		11/03/2011
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	All share amounts reflect the stock split effective February 1, 2011.
(2)	The option vested in four equal annual installments, with the first group Vesting on December 2, 2003.
(3)	The option vested in four equal annual installments, with the first group Vesting on December 2, 2004.
(4)	The option vested in four equal annual installments, with the first group Vesting on December 7, 2005.
(5)	The option vested in four equal annual installments, with the first group Vesting on December 6, 2006.
(6)	The option vested in four equal annual installments, with the first group Vesting on December 5, 2007.
(7)	These options, received as the result of a universal stock option award, fully vested on December 15, 2010.
(8)	The option vests in four equal annual installments, with the first group Vesting on December 4, 2008.
(9)	The option vests in four equal annual installments, with the first group Vesting on December 2, 2009.
(10)	The option vests in four equal annual installments, with the first group Vesting on December 1, 2010.
(11)	The option vests in four equal annual installments, with the first group Vesting on December 7, 2011.

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