Today marks the first National Pepper Jack Cheese Day, recognizing an American original dairy product that satisfies consumer cravings for bold, flavorful food. The annual observation was established by AMPI, a leading Pepper Jack cheese maker and the first to perfect its commercial production.

The AMPI Young Cooperators Summer Tour brought dairy farm families to Portage, Wis., where they explored the cooperative's manufacturing facility and gave back to the local community. Participants assembled 40 meal bags and donated Portage-produced beef and cheese to help support families served by the Portage Food Pantry.

AMPI Vice President of Marketing Sarah Schmidt recently joined the Dairy Download podcast to discuss growing consumer demand for cottage cheese and how AMPI’s investment in cottage cheese production at Blair, Wis., is helping meet evolving demand.