Young Cooperators Give Back During Summer Tour

Dairy farm families from across the Upper Midwest recently came together to support local families in need during the Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) Young Cooperators (YC) Summer Tour hosted by the cooperative's Portage manufacturing facility.

As part of the tour's annual service-learning project, participants assembled 40 picnic meal bags for the Portage Food Pantry. Each bag included cookout essentials such as ketchup, mustard, pickles and buns. AMPI also donated a package of ground beef and sliced American cheese produced at the Portage plant.

Community service has become a tradition of the YC Summer Tour. Each year, participants complete a project that benefits the community surrounding the AMPI plant hosting the event. This year's tour highlighted the Portage facility and provided an opportunity for members and their families to give back to the local community. 

"Caring for our communities is a natural extension of the work our farm families do every day," said Jeremy and Cristy Spexet, chaircouple of the AMPI Young Cooperators Steering Committee. "Just as we care for our animals and the land, we are committed to supporting our neighbors. Projects like this allow us to give back to the communities where we live and work while sharing products made by our farmer-owned cooperative."

Pictured from left to right, AMPI Portage Division Manager Oscar Estrada, AMPI Office Assistant Domenica Barreno Loza, and AMPI Value Stream Buyer/Planners April Meyer and Renae Penland stand with the picnic bag donation delivered to the Portage Food Pantry.

The Young Cooperators program helps develop future cooperative leaders by providing dairy farmers ages 18 to 45 with educational opportunities, networking and hands-on experiences that strengthen their understanding of agriculture and the cooperative business model.

"Hosting the Young Cooperators in Portage gave us an opportunity to showcase our plant, connect members with the cooperative they own and make a positive impact in the community," said Oscar Estrada, Portage Division manager. "We're proud to support the Portage Food Pantry and the families it serves."

At AMPI, members and employees invest significant time and resources in activities that contribute to the sustainability of the communities where they live and work. The cooperative believes these efforts help strengthen both local communities and the farmer-owned business.

Employees from the Portage facility delivered the meal bags to the Portage Food Pantry following the event.